Never Stop Fighting
by kirauza343
Summary: What if Jefferson didn't save Belle from the asylum? What does Regina have planned for her? And what choices will Rumplestiltskin make without his better half? Follows the show up until the day the curse is broken. Rumbelle, Snowing, Swan Queen, possibly others.
1. Chapter 1

_No one_

A girl sat in the corner of the cold gray room she called home. She couldn't remember how long she'd been in here; in fact, she didn't remember anything. Not her life before being trapped, not her family, not even her own name. She clutched her knees to her chest and tried to remember, but like always it only made her head hurt worse.

She couldn't remember ever speaking to anyone, and barely saw people at all. There was the woman in white who pushed meals into her cell and gave her a weekly shower, and the brutish man that stalked the halls, but perhaps the most interesting person was the one she didn't see: the one with the brown eyes that stared through the flap. The girl had no idea who the stranger was, only that every now and then the flap on the door opened to reveal their eyes.

The door cracked open and a small gray tray slid into the room. The girl was reluctant to move, as she was every mealtime, but grudgingly moved to see what today's meal was. Today, just like every day, the so-called food was gray and tasteless, like everything else in the world the girl knew. As she slowly shoveled the gray matter into her mouth, she felt a strange wave come across her, and suddenly she was someone with a name.

Belle.

Belle gasped and immediately dropped the spoon she held. She remembered everything. She remembered growing up and becoming engaged, she remembered being captured by the queen, and she remembered falling in love with the Dark One. "Rumplestiltskin," she breathed, her voice cracking from disuse. Belle leaped to her feet and pounded on the door. "Help!" she called, hoping someone would answer. "Rumplestiltskin help!" Belle called again, her voice growing stronger.

The door opened, but the woman in white stood before her rather than the Dark One. Moving quickly, Belle bounded past the woman and turned towards the stairs she had seen many times when she was lead to the shower. She sprinted, refusing to let anyone stop her until she found her path blocked by several male orderlies. Another came from behind and grabbed her.

"I'm afraid you can't leave. Her majesty demands that you stay here," the woman in white said calmly, seemingly appearing from nowhere.

"And I'm afraid I have to. I will get out of here and I will find him," Belle said stubbornly, fighting to break out of the orderly's grip. "I won't ever stop fighting!" she said fiercely.

"Oh, you'll give up eventually. I guarantee it," the woman in white said before stabbing Belle with a needle.

"I'll never...stop...fighting," Belle argued before her world went black.

* * *

_Mr. Gold_

"Gold!" a voice called angrily. Gold turned to face a blonde woman who looked very unhappy, not that Gold could blame her. Behind her were Mary Margaret and David, neither of whom looked like their meek cursed personas.

"Miss Swan, what can I do for you today?" Gold asked pleasantly. He could tell immediately that she had broken the curse, which meant he could start searching for his son. The thought filled him with a nervous excitement.

"Why the hell did you leave me at the library? And what was that purple smoke?" Emma demanded.

"Magic dearie," Gold answered. He kept his tone steady, refusing to explain further.

"Why would you bring magic here?" David asked.

"If I wanted you to know I would tell you. Now, if you will excuse me I have several matters to take care of," Gold said pleasantly, but the trio heard the cold threat underneath.

"We should lock you up with Regina for everything you've done," David said.

"Then one of us would end up dead, and I doubt you three want that. Magic works differently in this world, but I can certainly still manage a fireball or two to kill her," Gold said, unfazed by the threat.

"She can't use magic, so I doubt you can," Mary Margaret said.

"Magic is different here. Regina may not have her magic back but I do. How long do you think it will take her to get hers back? I suggest you move her somewhere more secure," Gold advised.

"Just what are you playing at?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing that concerns your family if that's what you're wondering," Gold said, seemingly uninterested. "Give Henry my regards," he added, and the others immediately knew they would get nothing else out of him.

"This isn't over," Emma warned as she and her family left.

"Oh no. It's just beginning," Gold agreed.

* * *

_Regina_

"I was wondering when I'd be seeing you again," Regina said as she leaned against the wall of the cell.

"I just wanted to check on you dearie," a pleasant voice said. "It's nice to see you behind bars for a change," Gold said smirking.

"I will make you suffer. Henry could have died because of you," Regina said coldly.

"And yet the boy lives. Besides, last I recall you were the one who used the sleeping curse," Gold pointed out.

"It wasn't meant for him it was meant for Emma," Regina hissed.

"And you should know by now that all magic comes with a price," Gold said smirking.

"How do I cast magic here?" Regina demanded. "I know you brought it here but I can't get it to work," she admitted.

"You're a smart woman your majesty. Figure it out," Gold said. He turned to leave but was stopped by the Evil Queen's laugh. "And what, may I ask, is so amusing?" he asked, turning back around.

"You are. I will figure out how magic works in this world, I'll get out of here and then I'll make you an offer you can't refuse," Regina said smiling.

"I believe I can. You have absolutely nothing I want," Gold said coldly as he left Regina alone in her cell.

"That's where you're wrong," Regina said to herself with a smirk.

**To clear up any confusion, all of these events take place the day the curse broke. Want to see more? Let me know.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and follows already! Here's another chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

_Mr. Gold_

Glass shattered as Gold attacked a display case with his cane in frustration. News about the town line circulated around town until everyone knew the truth: those that cross the line lose their memories. Gold cursed himself for bringing magic to Storybrooke. "All magic comes with a price," he muttered bitterly. In this case the price was this new curse. Gold clenched his fist and headed to the back room of his shop, determined to find a way past the curse.

"Coward," voices sang in his head, voices that belonged to Milah, Baelfire, and Belle. Gold winced at the memories, and once again cursed himself because he knew they were right. His eyes went to the chipped tea cup sitting on the table. Pain flooded through his body, but Gold was unable to look away from the only thing he had left of his love's.

"All you'll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup," her voice called, and Gold struggled to hold himself together. He hadn't believed Regina when she told him Belle was dead, but after Rumplestiltskin couldn't find her with magic he realized Regina hadn't lied. After all, what did the Evil Queen have to gain from lying about a mere girl?

"I will find you, Bae," Gold said, determined. After losing Belle, the search for his son was all the former Dark One had left. Gold sat in the chair and leaned forward, the wheels in his head turning. Almost immediately he stood back up and headed back to the front of the store, where he almost ran into someone. "Miss Swan, is there something you need?" Gold asked impatiently, eager to return home to begin working.

"Did something happen here?" Emma asked, noticing the shattered glass. Her inner sheriff came out, wanting to know if someone broke into the shop. It wouldn't be the first time. Emma noticed Gold seemed a bit tense which furthered her suspicions.

"Just an accident," Gold said dismissively. "Now, I believe you have a reason for coming here. What do you want?" he asked, hoping she would get straight to the point. Emma raised an eyebrow, but continued anyway.

"I need some advice on what to do with Regina. She's a powerful magical being from what I hear, and unlike you she has a personal vendetta against my family. You suggested we take her somewhere more secure, so what do you recommend?" Emma asked, choosing her words carefully. She didn't trust Gold, but other than leaving her in the library the man had never done anything to intentionally hurt her or her family. Gold sighed.

"Keep her close. You have magic in you that is easily more powerful than hers, and with training you could defeat her if you wished. Since everyone has their memories, I doubt she'll make a move on your family, not when it would make Henry hate her," Gold suggested.

"You want us to give her a second chance?" Emma asked skeptically.

"I'm simply suggesting that you keep her close. How close is up to you," Gold stated, not really caring what happened to the mayor. "And if I recall, you owe me a favor. Just thought I'd remind you," he added with a smirk. Emma groaned, remembering the few things her parents told her about the Dark One.

"I plan on taking care of that favor," Emma admitted reluctantly, not one to back out of a deal, especially not with someone like Mr. Gold. "Thank you for the advice," she added begrudgingly as she turned to leave.

"Good day Miss Swan," Gold said with a small smile. When the door shut, he cast a simple spell to remove the glass from the floor and followed her outside, locking the door behind him. He walked as fast as his limp would let him to his house and began to work.

"I will find you," he said fiercely as he began to delve back into the magical arts.

* * *

_Regina_

"You're letting me go?" Regina asked disbelievingly, and yet the door to her cell was open. "I thought it was dangerous for me to be out and around people who want me dead," she added, slowly frowning. Standing in front of her Emma sighed.

"If someone wants you dead that badly they would have killed you last night," Emma pointed out, and Regina reluctantly agreed. "But if you don't want to get out of this cell I can't force you," Emma added casually.

"Don't get me wrong Miss Swan, I'd like nothing more than to be out of this cell. I'm just not sure what it is you get out of letting me walk free," Regina said, tentatively walking outside the cell. She looked around, almost as if she was searching for a trap.

"Henry's mad at you, but he's mad that we locked you up," Emma admitted. "You're still his mother, and you should have a part in his life. So, you're sticking with me. I'll keep you out of trouble and make sure no one decides to kill you," Emma said, and Regina raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sticking with you?" she asked, unconvinced.

"Well, my family," Emma said, still unused to considering Mary Margaret and David her parents. "You go free and we keep an eye on you," she added.

"If I go free how do you intend to keep an eye me Miss Swan?" Regina asked, causing Emma to sigh.

"There are conditions for your freedom. First, you live with us, 'us' being myself, Mary Margaret, David, and Henry. You can have my room. Second, anytime you wish to leave one of us must be with you. Finally, by Henry's request, you must give up being evil, bad, whatever you want to call it," Emma said. The whole thing caught Regina off guard.

"It can't be any worse than being stuck in here," Regina admitted.

"Sorry, we need a promise on that last one," Emma apologized.

"Ah yes, must do everything by the books of course. Fine, I promise to do my best to be better person, for Henry's sake," Regina said, surprising herself with her sincerity. She was tired of being the bad guy all the time.

"Good. We should get going then. Henry's waiting," Emma said, touching Regina's shoulder for a moment before leading her out. To her surprise, Regina wasn't following. Regina stood frozen, feeling something course through her veins. "Are you coming?" Emma asked impatiently, crossing her arms.

"Yes. Yes, I am," Regina said smiling, realizing the sensation she felt instantly.

Magic.

* * *

_Belle_

Belle woke to find the world gray, and nearly panicked until she realized yesterday's events were not a dream. She was someone; she was Belle. Belle breathed a sigh of relief. She may be trapped, but she knew who she was, which was better than her condition the day before. Her growling stomach snapped her out of her thoughts. A tray already sat on the floor and Belle frowned.

"There goes that idea," she muttered. Belle doubted the nurses would take any chances with her now that she remembered. As she slowly ate the gray, tasteless food she frowned. _Where am I?_ She thought. This place certainly wasn't her tower in Regina's castle. Something was wrong about this place, but Belle wasn't quite sure what.

Belle stood from her finished meal and took a good look around her cell. It reminded her a bit of the dungeon in the Dark Castle except it seemed a little brighter in this prison. Light poured in barred windows, but upon closer inspection Belle realized the light was artificial. She turned to try the door and was unsurprised to find it locked tight. Belle mentally scolded herself for thinking escape would be easy, and kicked her tray in frustration, which clanged against the wall on response.

Curious, Belle approached the wall and smiled as she observed the plate. The spoon beside it was a strange, bendable material, but the plate was made of metal. It wasn't a weapon, but Belle knew she could improvise.

Her escape would be difficult, but Belle knew she had plenty of time to figure out the specifics. Time wasn't a problem for prisoners, something Belle had learned over the past few years. She frowned as she realized how long it had been since she had seen the sun. The realization pushed Belle to escape that much quicker. She turned her attention to the details of her plan.

The biggest complication Belle knew came in the form of the large men. She could overpower the blonde woman if she needed to, but her petite size prevented Belle from fighting off three, possibly more, grown men. Belle was no trained fighter and even if she was there sheer numbers would overwhelm her.

Finding the way out wouldn't be hard. She'd seen the stairs many times, and almost reached them last time she tried to escape. In fact, that had been the easy part. The hard part would be getting there thanks to the goons. The answer, of course, was simple.

Belle would have to be sneaky. Unfortunately, that relied on something that was a huge problem: getting out of the cell. She walked back to the door and began to examine it more closely. It was very sturdy, clearly designed to keep someone from getting out. Belle could find no notable flaws in the design, but it was just a door, one that wasn't locked by magic. She could and would make a flaw. Belle smiled.

"I was serious when I said I would never stop fighting," Belle said quietly as she began to tinker with the one thing that stood between her and freedom.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest time no longer stands still...

* * *

**Up next, confrontations! Between who you'll just have to wait and see :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey look, another chapter!**

* * *

_Mr. Gold_

It had been a long night for the Dark One, filled with experiments and magic and no sleep. All night Gold worked and worked, desperate to find a spell or potion that would let him cross the town line with his memories intact. By the time the sun rose, Gold had yet to find the right solution. Feeling a bit dejected, he headed to the shop, thinking it would be best to get his mind off of everything. Gold knew he looked awful with the bags underneath his eyes despite his impeccable dress, but was too exhausted to care. It didn't take long for the door of the pawn shop to open.

"Where is she?!" an angry voice demanded. Bored, Gold looked up to see Moe French standing in front of him, and his boredom turned to anger. How dare he come in here after what he did! "What did you do to her?!" Moe French continued, anger showing in his voice. Not caring about the consequences, Gold struck the man with his cane.

"The dead didn't come to Storybrooke!" Gold spat viciously, striking another blow on Moe in anger. He almost struck him again, but something stopped him. Gold knew Belle wouldn't want him to attack her father, and the last thing he needed was to be stuck in jail again. No, he had more important things to worry about, like finding the right potion so he could find Bae, his son. "Now get out of my shop," he hissed, not noticing the shock on Moe's face caused by his previous statement. Moe's sense of self-preservation took over after a moment and Moe scurried out of the door.

Gold regret letting him go the moment the door shut. Seeing Moe again brought back all the anger he felt for what Maurice had done to his own daughter. He wasn't sure what stopped him from beating him to death this time, but reasoned that he should be thankful he hadn't done enough to get sent to jail. While Gold knew a cell wouldn't hold him, having to deal with the Sheriff would have made matters even more complicated.

Thinking of the Sheriff made Gold wonder what she decided to do about Regina. Gold knew the Evil Queen would get her magic back soon, but he didn't fear her. His power was greater than hers, and unlike her he had nothing to lose in this world. Gold liked Henry well enough but had no problem threatening the boy if the Mayor crossed him.

Looking to a nearby clock Gold sighed. He started regretting opening the store today and decided to close up early. It didn't matter if anyone in town found it suspicious if it let Gold find his son any sooner. He flipped the sign on the door closed, locked up, and headed home.

* * *

_Regina_

The mayor found her new home a bit strange. Everything was much more cramped than the mansion she was used to, and Regina was a bit annoyed by the lack of privacy. At the moment, only Emma was home to keep an eye on Regina in her new, slightly larger cell. Regina checked outside the door of her, well, Emma's room and found that Emma was downstairs. "Perfect," Regina said to herself. Locking the door, she focused hard and found herself in the basement of the hospital.

"Your majesty," the nurse at the desk said in surprise. She wasn't shocked to see the Mayor, but she certainly didn't expect to see the woman appear out of thin air.

"How is she?" Regina asked, dusting her skirt off. It felt wonderful to use magic again after so long, but she knew it would take some time to get used to it again. Regina noticed the nurse look slightly nervous and frowned. "How is she?" Regina repeated, this time in a more regal, commanding voice.

"She remembers everything. We all do now that the curse has broken. She's become a bit…uncooperative," the nurse admitted. "She almost escaped the day the curse broke," the nurse confessed. She knew Regina would find out about the patient's near escape anyway and knew she would be punished if it became known that she kept it from the Queen. Regina frowned.

"I suppose I'll have to make sure that doesn't happen again," she said, walking down the hall.

* * *

_Belle_

The beauty was fiddling with the door when she heard a clicking sound come down the hall. The part of her with no memory told Belle that the sound belonged to the brown eyed stranger, and the part of her with her memory realized that her visitor was Regina. Belle quickly backed away from the door and sat on the stone surface she called a bed. Sure enough, the flap soon opened to reveal a set of brown eyes.

"Regina," Belle stated coldly.

"I see you have your memories back, Belle," Regina said, smirking even though her prisoner couldn't see. "How are you enjoying your room?" she asked casually much to Belle's annoyance. Regina couldn't help but chuckle at Belle's annoyed expression.

"Why am I still locked up? I'm just a girl; I am of no importance to you. It's been years since I last saw Rumplestiltskin so I don't have any information on him. He loves his power more than he loves me, so I don't make a valuable hostage. So why am I locked up?" Belle demanded, playing the part of a girl that had given up and Regina laughed.

"You want answers? Well, I suppose that's only fair," Regina said with a smile. "You underestimate your value. Poor Rumple didn't realize what he had until he lost you. When the time is right, you will make a much more valuable hostage than you can imagine," Regina explained.

"Rumplestiltskin is a coward. He chose power over love and he always will," Belle said bitterly, hoping the Queen wouldn't call her bluff.

"That doesn't sound like the Belle I know," Regina noted. "You may try to buy your freedom by claiming you aren't important, but in the end you are the one thing the Dark One cares about. You are perhaps the most valuable chess piece in this game we play because you have his heart. I know it, and you know it. You will prove to be most useful when I need something only he can give me," Regina said, her voice sounding a bit disinterested.

"And just what would that be? Nearly anything he has you can conjure up yourself with magic," Belle pointed out. "No, this is about revenge isn't it? He hurt you in the past, so you want to hurt him through me," she deduced.

"He's the reason I became who I am. He got my mother drunk off of power, taught me magic, and gave me the curse that brought us here. I almost lost my son because of him," Regina said, caring less and less about the wrongs the Dark One did her in the past. Regina wondered why she still held onto the memories but quickly shook the thoughts out of her head. She was the Evil Queen, wronged by the Dark One and she intended to get her revenge. So why was her heart not in fully invested?

Belle sighed. "Revenge isn't the answer," she said quietly. By now, she knew she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of the cell, so her mind began working on her escape plan again. If Regina decided to continue the conversation, Belle had no intention of listening. Fortunately, she heard Regina's heels click away.

* * *

_Regina_

"Let me know immediately if she tries to escape again," Regina said coldly to the nurse, who could only nod. Without a second thought Regina magicked herself back to the Charming residence, only to find Emma waiting for her with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Regina knew she shouldn't have bothered to lock the door.

"So you have your magic back," Emma said, clearly not happy with the situation. "Where were you and how long have you had your magic?" she asked, and Regina sighed. The sheriff noticed far too much for her own good.

"I've had my magic since you let me out of the cell," Regina admitted. "And I was just running a simple errand. I wanted to check on Sidney Glass, after all the poor man went insane after what he tried to do to Kathryn," she said dismissively.

"You're lying," Emma said bluntly. "Besides, if it was something that simple you would have told one of us. You know the conditions for your freedom," she pointed out. Regina sighed.

"Maybe I just wanted some real freedom," Regina pointed out, not giving anything away with her face.

"Look, if this whole situation is going to work you're going to have to trust us. And, we're going to have to trust you. The town wants you dead and my family probably consists of the only people who refuse to let that happen. So, where were you?" Emma asked again.

"I already told you. I was checking up on Sidney Glass," Regina repeated, refusing to open up. Emma decided to let it go, but had a warning for the mayor.

"Next time it happens you're on your own," Emma said bluntly.

"I'm sure the whole town would prefer that," Regina said bitterly.

* * *

**Sneak peak for next time: dinner with the Charmings!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, I was planning on doing this chapter as three or four smaller ones, but that wasn't working, so I combined them. This one starts a week after the last chapter, so enjoy!**

* * *

_Storybrooke dock_

A ship appears and swiftly disappears from sight…

* * *

_Gold_

He'd done it. After a week of endless combinations, Gold finally created a potion that would let him cross the town line with his memories intact. All that remained was to test the potion and recruit Emma for help. "I'm almost there Bae," Gold said with a small smile. In the meantime, he searched town for a test subject.

* * *

_Belle_

Belle smiled a triumphant grin. She'd finally managed to unhinge the door to her cell enough to open it from the inside, and after the past week in the cell she was ready to get out. All she needed to do was wait for her daily meal. Once Belle had her makeshift weapon, it would be time to escape. "I'm almost out," she said smiling.

* * *

_Regina_

Regina grinned as she helped Mary Margaret and David sat the table. At the beginning of the week she thought of Mary Margaret's apartment as another prison cell, but now she finally felt like she belonged to a family. It had been days since the last time she used magic, something the surprised the former Evil Queen. "Perhaps there's hope for me yet," she admitted to herself as she took a seat at the table.

* * *

_Belle_

It seemed to take ages for the nurse in white to open the door to Belle's cell for her daily meal, and it took every ounce of restraint Belle had not to charge past the woman right then. _Patience_, she thought. The last thing Belle needed was to get hasty. She began eating the tasteless food for what she hoped would be the last time, and smiled when the door to her cell closed again. Tray cleaned, Belle stood and pressed her ear to the door, hearing the soft steps of the nurse disappearing.

Then, she heard nothing. Belle knew she had almost thirty minutes until someone next walked by her door. The guards of her cell were nothing if not consistent, something Belle was thankful for. Memorizing the routines had been simple. Belle counted to 100 to make sure no one made a surprise visit down the hall, and heard nothing. Gripping her tray in one hand, Belle slowly opened the door, relieved that it did not creak.

She looked left and right outside the cell and saw no one, but Belle refused to let her guard down. Slowly she crept towards the reception room and froze when she heard the sound of another person. Belle nearly panicked until she realized it was just the blonde woman in white. The woman appeared to be reading a file and paid no attention to her surroundings. Belle took advantage of this and snuck behind the woman, and heard a crack as she slammed the tray on the woman's head.

"Sorry," Belle said apologetically, looking around to make sure no one heard anything. When no one came, she made her way up the stairs slowly. Belle could almost taste freedom and forced herself to relax. She wasn't out yet, and Belle had no idea what awaited past the door in front of her. Belle reached for the handle until she was grabbed from behind. Belle turned to face her attacker, a male orderly in white, when she realized she'd left the tray behind.

"How?!" Belle demanded, trying to break free from her attacker's grip. To her knowledge, she'd done everything perfect. No one saw her leave her cell and no one noticed her knocking out the nurse. So how had she been caught?

"Magic," the orderly said gruffly, before stabbing her with a needle.

* * *

_Gold_

It hadn't taken long to find his test subject. As usual, he'd been at Game of Thorns and subduing the man had been effortless. Now, at the town line, Gold shoved Moe French out of his car. Without explaining a thing, Gold poured a liquid on Moe's hat, the one item the florist never went without, and knocked him over the town line.

"Who am I?" Gold asked darkly. Moe's face lit up in recognition and anger.

"Rumplestiltskin," Moe answered, fear and hate evident in his voice. Gold gave him a smirk.

"Who else dearie? Now get the hell out of here," Gold said menacingly. Moe didn't have to be told twice as he ran back towards the direction of town. Gold felt his disdain for the man disappear as his excitement over the potion's success grew. "I've done it," he said in astonishment. Unable to keep a smile off of his face, Gold got back into his car and drove to the pawnshop.

* * *

_Regina_

"Everything is lovely as usual Mary Margaret," Regina said smiling. Their dinners were initially tense and awkward, but as the week went by they became more natural, to the point of even being friendly.

"Thank you Regina," Mary Margaret said smiling. "This has been nice. All of us, having dinner like a family, no one trying to kill each other…I really like it," she admitted. Her confession made Regina very happy. It had been a long time since Regina had felt like part of a family.

"That makes two of us. You know, you aren't that bad when you aren't trying to kill me or run me out of town," Emma confessed with a small smile.

"I believe you've known that for a while. After all, you were the one that offered to let me stay here," Regina pointed out with a smirk, causing Emma to blush.

"You're just a mother who wants to be near her kid. Hell, I feel the same way about him. It isn't fair to make him choose between the mother who birthed him and the mother that raised him because we're both his mother," Emma admitted.

"And I'm glad you didn't. Some people don't have any moms and I'm lucky enough to have two," Henry said grinning, and Emma and Regina shared a smile.

"I'm glad I didn't kill you," Regina said genuinely. Coming from anyone else's mouth it would have sounded strange and tasteless, but Regina knew it had to be said.

"Here's to not killing each other. Here's to family," David said, raising a glass in a toast.

"To family," everyone said in unison, drinking whatever they had in their glass. The happy moment was interrupted by the sound a cellphone going off.

"Sorry, I believe that's mine. I'll be just a moment," Regina said apologetically. She stood from the table and answered her phone in the other room. "Hello?" she answered impatiently.

"We had another incident. She nearly escaped, but we have her back in her cell," the voice said. Regina sighed.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't let her out of your sight," Regina said reluctantly. She didn't want to leave right now, not with dinner going as well as it was. Immediately Regina hung up the phone.

"So what was that about?" Emma asked, arms crossed. "Who's her?" she added, raising an eyebrow.

* * *

_Gold_

Back at the pawn shop, Gold opened a safe hidden behind the counter and pulled out a yellow shawl. He held it affectionately for a moment before replacing it in the safe, placing a vial of liquid in the safe as well. Gold decided to wait and leave tomorrow, and the safe was the safest place for the two objects. Now that he had his magic back, no one ever dared to break into his shop, but Gold refused to take any chances. Taking one last look around the shop, Gold locked up earlier than usual and headed home.

Tomorrow he would begin the search for his son.

* * *

_Regina_

Regina froze, feeling conflicted. "Eavesdropping Miss Swan? That's not very polite," Regina said, putting up the wall she used to protect herself, the uncaring queen.

"We all heard it. Who is her?" Emma repeated. She didn't want to accuse Regina of a crime she didn't commit, but the phone call wasn't helping Regina's case. Regina took a deep sigh.

"Come with me," Regina said as she began to walk out of the house. "Someone's supposed to be with me at all times, yes?" she asked when Emma didn't follow. "Look, I'll explain everything on the way," Regina finished reluctantly.

"All right then, where to?" Emma asked, jumping in to action. She and Regina both crawled into Emma's tiny yellow bug.

"The hospital," Regina said. Emma raised an eyebrow, but started the car and started driving.

"All right, explain," Emma said, waiting for answers. Regina took a deep sigh before beginning the tale.

"Rumplestiltskin-Mr. Gold-and I have never been on the best of terms. Back in our land, I wanted nothing more than to see him suffer. He's the reason my mother became power hungry, and he's the reason I learned magic in the first place. To my knowledge, there is only one person he has ever cared about, a girl whom he fell in love with," Regina began.

"This girl wouldn't happen to be related to Moe French would she?" Emma asked, recalling what she overheard Gold say as he beat the poor man nearly to death on Valentine's Day.

"In our world he was her father. Gold acquired her in a deal, but the two eventually fell in love. After an incident involving True Love's kiss he threw her out and I eventually captured her. I told Rumple she was dead, that she killed herself after her father shunned her for her connection to the Dark One. In truth, I kept her locked up even in this world to use against him if I ever needed to," Regina admitted.

"What's her name?" Emma asked, recalling that everyone in Storybrooke was a fairy tale character. She couldn't think of any fairy tale where Rumplestiltskin of all people fell in love.

"Belle. She's locked up in the basement of the hospital," Regina explained.

"Of course, Beauty and the Beast," Emma said chuckling. "So what are you planning on doing to her? I can't let you keep her in there, but I doubt you would have told me all of this if you planned on leaving her in there," she deduced.

"We're going to free her," Regina said smiling.

* * *

_Belle_

When she finally woke up, Belle's head ached. Disoriented, she took a quick look around her before the day's events caught up to her. Frustrated by her failure, Belle leaned back against the wall. She refused to give up, however, and decided to find another way out once the ache in her head subsided. Belle stood and walked over to the door, curious to see if the orderlies discovered how she escaped.

Looking over the door told her they didn't. Belle tested to door handle, and sure enough she could open it if she tried. Knowing it would be stupid to try escaping again so soon, she elected to bide her time. Belle had plenty of it, and it wasn't like anyone knew she was alive. She winced at the memory, recalling how Regina forced her to watch her tell Rumplestiltskin she was dead, but perhaps the worst part was that he believed her. Part of her reasoned that Regina cast a spell to keep her from being detected, but the other part was angry at him for giving up on her so easy. A familiar clicking sound snapped Belle out of her thoughts, and she backed up to see the door open.

Standing in front of her were two women. The first, Regina, looked far different from the last time Belle saw her. She didn't look the Evil Queen at all. Beside her was a blonde woman that Belle didn't recognize. "What do you want?" Belle asked tiredly, her earlier failure taking its toll.

"I'm letting you go," Regina said simply.

"What? Is this some sort of trick?" Belle asked skeptically. The woman in front of her looked different from the Evil Queen, but she was still the same woman.

"No trick. I just have no need to have you locked up anymore," Regina said casually before using magic to summon a sheet of paper. "Use this to find Gold's Pawn Shop. Gold should be in there, and if not he will be at his home, which is marked as well. I take it you know how to read a map?" Regina asked, inwardly smiling at the girl's confusion.

"Who's Gold?" Belle asked, still not sure what to make of her apparent freedom.

"Rumplestiltskin. In this world, everyone calls him Mr. Gold or just Gold," Emma explained. She wasn't sure what to make of the frazzled girl in front of her. The girl seemed sweet enough, but she couldn't see her falling in love with Gold, especially not with what she knew about his fairytale persona. "I'm Emma Swan by the way," Emma added, realizing she hadn't introduced herself yet.

"Now that pleasantries are out of the way, I'm sure you'd like to get out of here. Your true love will be happy to know you're alive," Regina said, ushering Belle out of her cell. Belle looked confused until she looked over Regina and Emma again. Realization dawned on her as she flashed them a knowing smile, causing them to blush at her implications.

"Thank you," Belle said as she quickly hurried off, anxious to finally be free.

"You've really changed," Emma noted with a smile, catching Regina off guard.

"Thank you," Regina said sincerely, allowing herself a small smile.

* * *

_Storybrooke Town Line_

A car with Pennsylvania tags makes its way into town…

* * *

**Yay! Belle's free, Regina's making good choices, and Gold can find his son! Sounds like everything's going to be just fine…or not. Next time, all hell breaks loose. Have any theories? Let me hear them!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ready for things to get real interesting? Well, so am I, so here's a fun chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Gold_

Gold awoke to the sound of a knock on his door. Looking outside he saw the sun was just beginning to rise, but something obscured the sun. Curious as to who would be at the door at this hour, Gold hobbled downstairs with the aid of his cane, not bothering to change out of his pajamas. He smiled when he remembered the events of the previous night knowing he could finally complete his century-long goal: finding Baelfire.

Whoever was at the door was growing impatient as they pounded on the door again. "Gold? Are you in here?" the voice, female in origin, asked. She sounded desperate and almost concerned, much to Gold's surprise. Who would be worried about him? Gold opened the door to discover the answer.

In front of him was a beautiful brunette, someone Gold never expected to see outside his door at such a strange hour. The female breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good, I thought you were here and not at the pawn shop. I'm glad I was right," the female said with a small smile. "I may not like you much, but I don't want to see you dead," she added. Gold was confused.

"What on earth are you talking about Miss Lucas?" Gold asked, wondering what Ruby was rambling about.

"Sorry, I know I'm not making any sense. Mr. Gold, we should get going. You might want to get dressed; it's going to be a long morning," Ruby said, and for the first time Gold realized it was smoke that blocked out what little sun had risen.

"What the hell is that?" he demanded, part of him dreading the answer to come. Ruby let out a deep sigh before answering.

"The pawnshop's on fire."

* * *

_Regina_

"Regina, wake up," Emma called, turning on the light to her former room.

"What's going on?" Regina asked. She could tell immediately that the situation was urgent, and quickly slipped into a set of clothes. "What happened?" she asked as she and Emma woke the rest of the household.

"The pawnshop's on fire," Emma said gravely. Shock filled Regina's face as she got into Emma's bug. Mary Margaret and David took their own car. Regina and Emma started the drive in silence.

"Who would do this?" Regina asked. She could think of many people that hated the dark one, but she didn't think any of them had the guts to attack Gold so publicly.

"I don't know. Right now I'm more worried making sure no one's hurt, especially a certain girl we sent there last night," Emma said, remembering Belle in the basement of the hospital. "You can find her right?" Emma asked. Regina nodded.

"She's probably with Gold. The fire couldn't have started too long ago so I doubt she was there when it started," Regina said, hoping she was right. Focusing her magic, she searched for Belle. A shiver went down her spine and dread began to take over. "I...I can't find her," Regina admitted in horror.

"It could be something else right? She could still be alive," Emma said, but Regina's grim face convinced her otherwise.

"There are only two reasons I wouldn't be able to find her, and those are if she's dead or if someone is cloaking her location. Seeing as how the only other person in town capable of doing so has his shop on fire, I can only see one option. Belle is dead."

* * *

_Gold_

Sure enough, the pawn shop was on fire when Gold and Ruby pulled up near the store. Gold was still dressed in his black silk pajamas, believing that saving his store and more importantly, the objects inside, was more important than looking his best. As he stepped out of the car, he immediately focused his energies on a water spell to combat the flames. Despite the force of the water, the flames hungrily swallowed it whole. "Regina," Gold growled darkly.

Taking a deep breath, Gold focused his energies on another spell. Not breaking his concentration, he made his way toward the burning building. He refused to give up, not when the key to finding his son waited inside the pawnshop. Gold nearly made his way into the collapsing building, determined not to lose the chance to find his son, when he was grabbed from behind.

"Unhand me!" Gold growled fighting the man's grip. "I said unhand me!" he demanded, turning around to find David staring at him with concern.

"The building's on fire. You can't go in there," David said, concern in his eyes.

"Watch me," Gold said darkly, but David refused to let him go.

"Whatever's in there isn't worth your life," David argued.

"And just what do you know about what I value?" Gold demanded. Seeing that David wouldn't budge, Gold sighed. "In there is the only way I can find my son," Gold reluctantly admitted, feeling desperate. He turned to enter the building but David once again stopped him.

"You can't find your son if you're dead. You'll find another way," David said sympathetically. The revelation that Gold had a son surprised him, but David understood what he felt. Their brief heart-to-heart was interrupted when Gold noticed Regina approaching the scene.

"You did this!" he growled, reading a massive fireball. Emma fearlessly stepped between him and Regina, crossing her arms.

"She couldn't have. I was with her all night," Emma argued.

"She's a clever woman, and this fire is magical. Do you really believe I set fire to my own shop?" Gold asked, refusing to back down.

"Of course not. But I can tell you that she didn't do this. A fire to your pawnshop? That's too obvious even for her. There has to be another explanation," Emma said.

"Why search for an alternative when the answer is right in front of you? Only three people in this town can use magic, and you haven't had the chance to learn yet. That leaves me and her, and seeing as how I didn't set fire to my own shop she is the culprit!" Gold said, unable to contain his rage.

"I swear to you, I didn't do this," Regina protested.

"Save it for someone who believes it. I will kill you slowly and painfully, your Majesty," Gold spat.

"Listen to us Gold. Emma's right, Regina couldn't have done this. She's been at our house the entire time, but we will find who did this," Mary Margaret said gently. Gold gripped his cane tightly, anger and frustration consuming him. He could do nothing but watch his shop burn, could do nothing but watch his last chance at finding his son go up in flames. Gold fought back tears, refusing to let any emotion show in front of his present company. He peeled his eyes away from the shop and turned to go home.

* * *

_Regina_

The Charming family stood in front of the pawnshop until the flames completely dissipated. "Who could have done this?" Mary Margaret asked, still not believing everything that had happened.

"The fire was magical in origin, that much is certain. Gold has a point. Only the two of us should be capable of doing this," Regina admitted. The whole situation was very peculiar.

"And yet neither of you did it. Are you sure no one else can use magic?" Emma asked.

"You're the only other one, but you haven't been trained," Regina said.

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way. He mentioned something about the only thing that could find his son was in the shop. Whoever set fire to the shop knew how to hurt him," David noted, and Regina frowned.

"I wasn't aware he had a son," Regina admitted.

"Do you know of anyone who might have known?" Emma asked, and Regina shook her head.

"Is everything okay over here? I just got into town last night and I was wondering what all the commotion was about," a strange voice called. The family turned to face a man who appeared to be in his late thirties early forties. "My name's Greg. Do you need any help over here?" he asked, concerned.

"No, everything's just fine. Just a possible arson we're looking into," Emma replied immediately. "My name's Emma Swan. I'm the sheriff of this little town. This is Regina Mills, our mayor, Mary Margaret Blanchard, David Nolan, and the kid's Henry Mills," she added, making introductions.

"Are you planning in staying in Storybrooke long?" Mary Margaret asked, making easy conversation.

"I think so. This seems like a nice, quiet town. Have a nice day, and good luck with the investigation," Greg said smiling, leaving the family in peace.

"He's not from here," Henry noted when the stranger was out of earshot.

"No, he's not," Regina said frowning.

**I told you all hell was going to break loose. Wondering what really happened? Well, here you go! This part takes place the night before in case it wasn't clear.**

_Belle  
_  
For the third time Belle made her way hesitantly down the basement hall. Reaching the reception area she noticed the blonde nurse hold a bag of ice against her head. The nurse glared at Belle, but made no move to stop her. Gathering her courage, Belle made her way up the stairs and opened the door.

Blinding light and foreign sounds greeted her. No one seemed to pay any mind as Belle tried to find her way out of the strange place. She felt overwhelmed by the strange sights, but forced herself to focus on her escape. "Excuse me, how do I get out of here?" Belle asked the person nearest her, a male, blond doctor. The doctor eyed her suspiciously.

"Are you a patient here? I've never seen you here before," he noted. Belle froze and nearly panicked until she realized the doctor looked at her with more concern than animosity.

"I need to find Rumplesti-sorry, I need to find Mr. Gold," Belle said, Rumplestiltskin's Storybrooke name sounding wrong on her tongue.

"If you need help you should see the sheriff instead. You don't want to get involved in one of Gold's deals," he warned. "My name is Dr. Whale by the way," he added.

"My name's Belle, now how do I get out of here?" Belle asked, growing impatient and desperate.

"The door's right down this hallway," Whale said, pointing the path out to her. "Now, are you all right?" he asked turning to face Belle but she had already vanished. "I wonder what that was about?" he mumbled to himself.

Belle found the exit with no problems after that. Opening the door, she eagerly greeted her first taste of freedom in years. It was nighttime, but the stars were a welcome sight after spending so many years locked up. Belle heard a beeping sound and quickly backed up to avoid being hit by a strange metal creature.

"What sort of place is this?" she asked herself. Belle made her way under an artificial light source and opened the scrap of paper Regina gave her. Her current location was marked as the hospital, and it appeared that her destination, Gold's Pawnshop, wasn't too far. Belle placed one foot in front of the other until she found herself standing in front of her destination.

Feeling excited and a little nervous about seeing Rumplestiltskin again, Belle tried the handle on the door. Much to her disappointment, the door refused to open. Belle took another look at her map and figured out the route to her true love's home, remembering that Regina said he'd be there if he wasn't at the shop.

"He's not here, love," a voice said from the darkness, startling Belle. "I see you managed to escape from Regina's clutches," the voice noted.

"I was no longer of any use to her," Belle said casually, making her way past the shop. She frowned when she realized the man was still following her. Belle picked up the pace of her walk, and looked behind her, relieved to see she was no longer being followed. She turned around and jumped, almost running into an older woman dressed in garb from their world. "I'm sorry," Belle said apologetically.

"So this is the kind of girl the Dark One keeps for company these days," the woman said with a smile. Realizing what was going on, Belle immediately ran past her, only to be stopped by an unseen force.

"She's too pretty for him, but this is her all right. I'd recognize her face anywhere," the male voice said smirking. Belle opened her mouth to scream in the hopes that someone would here, but the pirate quickly covered her mouth with his hand. "Cora, a little help would be nice," the pirate said, frowning.

"Ah, but it's so fun to watch her squirm wouldn't you agree Hook?" Cora said smiling. "She's got a lot of fight in her. What's her name?" She asked.

"I believe it's Belle. I'll take her back to the ship and you can take care of the shop," Hook said.

"Of course. We destroy something the Dark One holds dear, and cause to town to distrust my daughter at the same time. It's a brilliant plan," Cora admitted with a smile. With a simple hand motion, the store caught fire and Belle could do nothing but watch. The next thing Belle knew, she was on a ship.

Belle struggled to move, but whatever force kept her from moving refused to relent. Hook and Cora effortlessly tied her up and gagged her. "Stay here love. We'll be back soon enough," Hook said with a charming smile.

* * *

**Hey, Belle's alive! Originally this was going to be split up into two chapters, but Belle's part was a little too short to stand alone. Next time, Gold decides it's time to call in a favor...**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'd like to thank everyone for all of the favorites, reviews, and follows. Here's another chapter, so enjoy!**

_Regina_

The doorbell rang just as everyone sat down for breakfast. It had been only about an hour since the family had left the pawnshop and no one could forget the color or shape of the flames. "I'll get it," Mary Margaret said, gracefully jumping out of her seat and gliding to the door. "Mr. Gold, what a surprise," she exclaimed, taken off guard by their visitor.

"Mary Margaret. May I?" Gold asked, his face giving nothing away. Mary Margaret graciously ushered him in, and the family couldn't help but notice that Gold looked much more put together than he had earlier.

"What do you want?" David asked bluntly, causing Gold to chuckle.

"Straight to the point are we? I'm simply here to tell Emma that I require her assistance. She owes me a favor, and this is her chance to take care of it," Gold said casually, and Emma raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want me to do?" Emma asked.

"I'm searching for someone, my son to be exact. Seeing as how I can't leave town and you can, I believe you are the perfect person for the job. After all, finding people is your specialty is it not?" Gold asked. Emma thought it over for a moment.

"All right, I think I can handle that. What can you tell me about him?" Emma asked, deciding that this was a pretty harmless favor to do the older man, considering what she knew about him.

"He was fourteen when we separated, though he may be older now. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes. I would point you to his picture in Henry's storybook, but that won't help much if he's no longer fourteen. His name is Baelfire," Gold said, and Emma frowned.

"That's not exactly a lot to go on. How did you plan on finding him?" Emma asked.

"In my shop was a potion that would have allowed me to cross the town line. There were magical items in my shop that can help find someone, but like the potion they are impossible to use now that they were in the fire. Magical fire is far more vicious than regular fire so I doubt anything remains in my shop," Gold said bitterly, avoiding Regina's gaze to prevent himself from attacking her.

"We'll figure out who caused the fire. While Emma's gone, we'll have plenty of time to search for clues. Whoever did this won't get away with it," David said.

"Speaking of Emma leaving, I want to go with her. I won't be affected by crossing the town line, plus it sounds like fun," Henry said, wanting to go on an adventure. Emma looked to Regina to get her opinion on the situation.

"I think it's a great idea. If we have a magical arsonist in town, being outside of Storybrooke is safer than being here. But, I want to come with the two of you," Regina said with a small smile.

"Trying to escape your crime? I don't think so dearie," Gold growled coldly.

"What about the curse? Won't you lose your memory?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I was never affected by the curse, so I have no cursed persona to take over. I won't have any magic, but with how little Emma has to go on I believe she'll need all the help she can get," Regina argued.

"Then it's settled. We'll leave after lunch," Emma decided.

* * *

_Greg_

"Here you go, one order of pancakes with extra maple syrup," Ruby said, putting on her best smile for her customer.

"Thank you," Greg said smiling. "It's a shame about what happened to that building. Is arson usually a problem here?" he asked, making friendly conversation, hoping to learn something about the town that hadn't changed since he last visited it 28 years ago in the process.

"Not normally, but you see that shop belonged to Mr. Gold. He's not exactly the friendliest person in town and he has no shortage of people that hate him. Besides, it could have been an accident. A lot of the things he sold were old and a little dysfunctional," Ruby said, watching what she said. Magic had to be kept a secret, and Ruby didn't like that the shop of one of the most powerful beings in town managed to catch fire so soon after a stranger arrived.

"The sheriff seems to think it was arson," Greg noted. He neglected to mention that he overheard them mention magic as well.

"Well it wouldn't be the first time. Of course, rumor has it that Gold started the last one," Ruby said with a giggle.

"Maybe this one was started for revenge. What did he set on fire?" Greg asked.

"The mayor's office. Just between you and me, I wouldn't be surprised if she set the fire. She and Gold don't exactly…get along. The two have been enemies for pretty much as long as I can remember and Regina is pretty ruthless," Ruby said, getting into full gossip mode.

"Sounds like this isn't such a quiet little town after all," Greg said with a chuckle. If this "Gold" was an enemy of the mayor, Greg knew he might be able to use him.

"Well, it is for the most part," Ruby said hastily. "You just happened to get here right when things were getting exciting," she added with a smile.

"Just bad timing. Thank you for the meal," Greg said smiling, paying for his food before he left. He dialed a number on his cellphone, and got her voicemail. "Hey, it's me. I'm in a little town called Storybrooke in Maine, and I think I'm going to stay here a while. It seems like a very…magical town," he said with a _chuckle._

* * *

_Belle_

"I just came from town. Almost everyone thinks Regina started the fire," Hook announced with a smile. "And I have to say, my crocodile looked particularly crushed to lose the one chance he had of finding his son," he added, feeling very pleased.

"Almost everyone thinks my daughter did this. Everyone except for those closest to her, the ones that matter most. I need them to abandon her so she'll welcome me back, and I can't do that if they believe her," Cora said, much less impressed than her companion.

"Then what do you suggest?" Hook asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We need the Dark One's dagger. With it, we can get him to kill the others. Then, I'll be all she has left and I will have my daughter back, and you will get your revenge," Cora said, determined. Hook chuckled.

"Yes, I'm sure the crocodile will be willing to let us borrow the source of his power," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, he'll hand it over willingly. He won't let her die," Cora said, looking at the girl in the room that was bound and gagged. Belle kept her expression neutral.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that. Love's a powerful motivator, but this is the Dark One we're talking about. He ripped out his own wife's heart. I do believe he's in love with this girl, but I don't know if he loves her enough to sacrifice his powers and potentially his life," Hook said skeptically.

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to learn more about this strange place, this land without magic," Cora said, vanishing in front their eyes. Hook turned to face Belle, and undid the rope around her mouth.

"Why don't you and I have a little chat? You seem pretty comfortable for a prisoner, love," Hook said smirking.

"I've gotten used to it," Belle said casually. Truthfully, she was sick of being captured and wanted nothing more to be free. Until then, Belle planned on learning as much as she could about her new captors. Hook laughed.

"Ah yes, well I am terribly sorry. I believe you've had better accommodations than these, but I'm afraid these will have to do. We can't have you running off, now can we?" Hook said charmingly.

"What is it you want? I've told you before in our world that I don't know anything about this dagger," Belle said impatiently.

"No, I wanted to talk about more…personal matters. Aren't you curious as to why I hate the crocodile so much?" Hook asked. When Belle didn't answer, Hook continued. "His wife, Milah, was trapped in a marriage with the village coward. We met one night in a tavern and fell in love. Years later he found us, now as the Dark One, and ripped her heart out and crushed it, right in front of us. I've wanted to see him suffer ever since. Now, I'm not the first person whose life he's destroyed and I certainly won't be the last, yet you somehow managed fall in love with him. How is that?" Hook asked, genuinely curious. Belle sighed.

"There is good in him. Beneath all of the horrors he is still just a normal man, just one covered in a darkness. In my time with him I saw the man inside the beast, and somehow I fell in love with him. I can't really explain it; it just happened. You never choose who you fall in love with, particularly when it comes to true love," Belle said, a faint smile on her face from fondly remembering her time in the Dark Castle. Hook just laughed.

"True love? The Dark One? Now I've heard everything," he scoffed, disbelievingly. Hook still had hard time believing the Dark One had any feelings whatsoever; the idea that he found true love was impossible to swallow.

"Well, true love's kiss can break any curse," Belle said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I pity you, love. You've deluded yourself in thinking that monster is actually your true love," Hook said with a small chuckle. Anger shown in Belle's blue eyes.

"He's not a monster," she argued fiercely. Hook's amusement over the situation faded.

"Oh, he's certainly a monster, but I'm starting to believe that he will give up the dagger to save you, and when he does I'll make sure to have him kill you. It will be slow and painful so I can watch his agony over killing his "True Love". And when I kill him, you can be sure that the two of you won't be reunited because he's going to the deepest part of hell," Hook said coldly, and Belle stared him straight in the eye, unwavering.

"He won't give up the dagger. Rumplestiltskin made his choice already. Besides, he knows that even if he gives you the dagger you won't let me go that easily," Belle argued, never looking out of his eyes.

"You have courage, I'll give you that. But men do desperate things when they're in love and I doubt it will be any different for a beast," Hook said mockingly.

**Up next, Emma, Regina, and Henry begin the quest to find Nealfire!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Regina_

"So what's the plan for Operation Hound?" Henry asked excitedly.

"Hound?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, we need to a codename for the operation. Plus, since we're trying to find Mr. Gold's son I thought we needed a codename that represented searching for something," Henry explained with a grin.

"Speaking of searching, we need to figure out where to start. This realm is very large and finding just one person with so little information is impossible without magic," Regina said.

"So what about with magic?" Emma asked. "Between the three of us that are capable of using magic, we should be able to come up with something," she said.

"You've never used magic before, so that would be risky. Besides, since none of us have met Baelfire in this world a tracking spell won't work," Regina said with a sigh.

"Are you sure it won't? We could at least try it," Henry suggested.

"It will take more magic than I can do alone. This realm's too large," Regina admitted.

"Use some of mine. It's not like I know how to right now anyway," Emma, said, offering Regina a hand. Tentatively Regina took it, and focused her mind on finding the mysterious boy. Both Emma and Regina saw a place they had never been to but had seen. "Manhattan?" Emma asked, confused.

"That shouldn't have worked," Regina said, frowning.

"Well, magic works differently in this world. We should get going, I bet Mr. Gold really wants to see his son again," Henry said obliviously. He headed out of Mary Margaret's apartment and jumped in the backseat of Emma's yellow bug.

"If that shouldn't have worked then why did it?" Emma asked, curious. "You mentioned it only working if you've met the person in the realm that you're in so why could we find him? I don't recall you ever leaving Storybrooke," she added, frowning.

"One of us may have met him without realizing it, most likely you," Regina admitted.

"Yes, but I've never been to Manhattan. I don't like this, it seems very suspicious," Emma said, running through all the different people she had met. Several of them had the dark hair and eyes that Gold described, but she couldn't picture any of them being his son. "Do you think Gold knew one of would meet him?" she asked.

"It wouldn't surprise me, but I doubt he did. Gold didn't remember his Enchanted Forest self when the curse first brought us here. It may not seem like it times, but he doesn't know everything," Regina said.

"We should get going. The quicker we find this guy the quicker I get out of owing Gold a favor," Emma said as she and Regina joined Henry in Emma's bug. "Here we go," Emma said as they began the long drive to Manhattan.

* * *

_Gold_

"We should check at the pawnshop first, see if we can find anything in the ashes the might give us some ideas," David said as he and Mary Margaret made their way out of Granny's Diner with Gold. Gold made no answer and simply walked with them. "They'll find your son, I know they will," he said supportively, trying to ease the tension he saw in Gold.

"You two head on to the pawnshop, I'll stay here and ask people if they saw anything," Mary Margaret said, to give the two men some privacy and to broaden their search.

Gold and David spent the walk to remains of the shop in silence. The entire building had collapsed, but with a simple wave of his hand the shop regained its form.

"Watch the magic, we have a stranger in town," David warned, but Gold ignored him as he walked into the burnt shop. The inside of the shop was completely charred black, and it appeared as if nothing survived the fire.

"There's no doubt about it. This fire is magical," Gold said with a quiet rage. He walked to what used to be the area behind the counter, and found what used to be his hidden safe in ashes. Gold slammed his cane against the wall in frustration.

"Look, if there's a stranger in town right now, there may be someone new in town, someone that can use magic. Can you think of anyone who knew you in our world that hated you and knew you had a son?" David asked as he and Gold walked out of the pawnshop. With another wave of his hand, Gold returned the building to its previous state of wreckage.

"Anyone who knows I have a son is long dead since I lost him around three centuries ago," Gold said impatiently. He immediately thought of Hook, but Gold knew he had no reason to think he was alive. And yet, something about situation made him mention it. "There was this pirate by the name of Killian Jones. He had a magic bean the last time I saw him and he and I aren't exactly on the best of terms," Gold admitted.

"So he could have used the bean to come here. We should check the docks, see if any ships have come in recently," David said, and for the first time that day, Gold dared to feel hopeful.

* * *

_Greg_

Unbeknownst to the pair, Gold's magical display hadn't gone unnoticed. After making sure he was out of view, Greg sent the video of the magical display to Her. After the video was sent, he called Her.

"Hello?" a female voice answered.

"Tamara, did you get the video?" Greg asked.

"Yes, this is incredible. When do you want me to come down?" Tamara asked.

"Not yet. Once I find something more precise, more physical, then you should come. After all, we don't want you disappearing from that fiancé of yours over nothing," Greg said, sounding a bit bitter at the last part.

"I certainly don't think this is nothing," Tamara said chuckling.

"I don't either, but for now we need to play it safe until we have more proof. I'll keep looking for more magic and who knows, maybe I can find my father before you get here," Greg said with a smile.

"That would be wonderful, keep me posted. I love you," Tamara said.

"I love you too," Greg said and the lines went dead. Greg decided to follow David and Gold to docks to see if he could catch anymore magic.

* * *

_Belle_

"How do you want to take care of Rumplestitlskin?" Hook asked. The two had discussed the plan, but there were still a few specifics to take care of.

"We confront him, and demand the dagger in exchange for the girl. He won't be able to refuse," Cora said dismissively.

"Yes, but who is going to approach him? Someone has to watch the girl because honestly, I don't trust her to not escape if we both leave, and seeing as how this is my revenge against the crocodile, I believe I should be the one to do the honor," Hook said.

"Absolutely not. He'd kill you without a second thought. No, I must be the one to do it. If I'm the one to give him the choice, he'll understand just how serious this is. Don't worry, you'll get your revenge against the crocodile after I get my daughter back," Cora said, much to Hook's displeasure. Suddenly, his face it up with an idea.

"Or, we could have her make the offer with us," Hook said smiling. Cora immediately smiled, realizing exactly what he meant.

"I like it. Appropriate," she noted. She and Hook turned to face Belle, who was still ungagged from earlier.

"Do you really expect me to do as you ask, just like that?" Belle asked, puzzled by their logic.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Cora asked, and the look on her face caused Belle to tense up. She knew whatever was about to happen wasn't good.

"Gladly. It will be poetic justice when I crush it in front of him like he did to Milah," he said smirking. At that moment Belle realized exactly what was about to happen and tugged at her bindings while keeping her gaze on Hook. The pirate lowered his face down to hers and smirked. "This'll hurt a bit," Hook said, thrusting his hook into Belle's chest. Belle fought back a scream as Hook ripped her heart out of her chest. The binding around her hands and feet was magically removed and Belle immediately turned to run.

"Stop," Hook whispered to the heart, and against her will Belle's body obeyed. Cora laughed.

"Well done Hook. The Dark One's heading to the docks right now, so why don't we pay him a visit?" Cora suggested.

"Wonderful idea love. I'll tell you what, you do the talking and I'll stay here and hold on to her heart," Hook said, giving a smile that unnerved Belle.

"And here I was thinking I was the heartless one," Cora said chuckling, using magic to get Belle into a different outfit. "I'm sure you're glad to get out that dreadful thing. We can't have you looking like that when we greet the Dark One now can we?" she asked.

"I'm looking forward to this," Hook said smirking.

**Next time, a confrontation on the docks!**


	8. Chapter 8

_Mary Margaret_

"Hey, Dr. Whale, do have any idea what happened at the pawnshop?" Mary Margaret asked the doctor. Both were in Granny's diner, and Mary Margaret was getting desperate for someone to be able to help her.

"No, I was at the hospital all night," Whale said. He'd heard about what happened but couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for Gold. The girl he met, on the other hand, had intrigued him and Whale wondered what happened to her. "I did have a very interesting encounter though," he admitted.

"Really? With whom?" Mary Margaret asked, relieved to have finally found someone who might be able to help.

"There was this girl at the hospital. I've never seen her before, and she was looking for Gold. Thing is, she knew both of his names, and was dressed in a hospital gown. She was a few years younger than you, with brown hair and blue eyes, and accent that sounds like this world's Australian accent. Height wise, I'd put her at about five foot two and she looked like she hadn't had a decent meal in weeks," Whale said. Mary Margaret thought over the description and frowned.

"And she was looking for Gold?" Mary Margaret asked, thinking something about the description sounded familiar.

"Oh, and I think she said her name was Elle. No that's not it, Bella maybe?" Whale said, trying to recall the strange girl's name.

"Was it Belle?" Mary Margaret asked, remembering a girl from their land, a princess from Avonlea. The last she had heard the girl had traded her freedom to save her people from the ogres. Mary Margaret remembered admiring the girl's courage for going with the Dark One willingly.

"Yeah, that was it. Do you know her? She seemed really desperate last night," Whale said, hoping Mary Margaret could help the girl.

"I might. Thank you for the information," Mary Margaret said, leaving the diner. She immediately called David, who picked up after two rings.

"Hello?" David answered.

"Hey, where are you and Gold? I may have found something," Mary Margaret said.

"We're down at the docks. What did you find?" David asked.

"I'll tell you when I get there. It's something I need to ask Gold, it's about a girl," Mary Margaret explained. She ended the call and quickly made her way to the docks.

* * *

_Gold_

"What was that about? Did Mary Margaret find something?" Gold asked, feeling a bit bitter. When they reached the docks they had found nothing, no ships or anything. The idea that Mary Margaret may have found something gave Gold some hope, but he braced himself for disappointment.

"I think so. She said she wanted to talk to you, so she's on her way. She mentioned something about a girl; does that mean anything to you?" David asked. Gold flinched, his mind immediately going to Belle. He immediately knew it must be a different girl, after all, Belle was dead.

"It might, it might not. That depends entirely on the girl," Gold admitted, and David raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think Mary Margaret means?" David asked, curious as to what Gold was thinking.

"I don't know. The first and only girl I can think of that would have anything to do with me is dead," Gold said sighing.

"The girl you told me about back in our world?" David asked, and Gold nodded. "How did she die?" David asked, and immediately realized he should have brought it up.

"She died, that's all that matters," Gold snapped, not wanting to relive the memories. And with that, David knew he wasn't going to get anything else out of the Dark One.

* * *

_Belle_

"There they are, right over there. Why don't we get this show on the road?" Hook suggested. He stood with Cora and Belle up on the deck of the ship, still invisible to the rest of the world.

"Let's give them a moment. It seems like they're discussing something interesting, and we need to make a memorable entrance. The more caught off guard the Dark One is, the easier this will be," Cora said. Belle remained quiet, observing David and Gold from afar. She almost didn't recognize Rumplestiltskin with his limp and more subdued demeanor, but sure enough it was him.

"Aren't you happy to see your true love again? I'm sure he can't wait to find out you're alive. Well, for the moment at least. I can't wait to see the look on the monster's face when he crushes your heart," Hook said with a smirk.

"You're the real monster here," Belle said coldly. She didn't feel any sympathy or remorse for her captors, but Belle figured that that's what happened when you didn't have a heart. Hook was apparently not pleased by her remark and gave her heart a small squeeze. Belle gasped, clutching her chest in pain.

"Still defiant right to the end. I'm starting to see why he likes you," Hook said chuckling.

"Enough games. We need her in perfect condition for this. Well, near perfect," Cora said, allowing herself a small smile.

"Well what are you waiting for? Let's get on with it," Hook said impatiently.

"Patience. The time is almost right," Cora said smiling.

* * *

_Gold_

"Hey you two," Mary Margaret said as she approached Gold and David. "I think I may have found the answer to who started the fire," she said.

"Well, get on with it," Gold said impatiently.

"I spoke with Dr. Whale, and he mentioned seeing a girl in the hospital last night who was searching for Gold. He said her name was Belle, and if memory serves you took her prisoner in exchange for defeating the ogres ravaging her town. Did you see her last night?" Mary Margaret asked, and was caught off guard when Gold's face turned cold.

"I'm afraid I couldn't have seen her last night, and neither could Dr. Whale. She's dead; she died in our land," Gold said darkly. David's eyes widened in realization.

"She's the girl you fell in love with," he said, putting the pieces together. Mary Margaret grew confused, but decided to continue.

"If you're sure she's dead, describe her. I can tell you if it matches Whale's description, and he had no reason to lie to me. I don't even know if he's from the Enchanted Forest, so I doubt he's even met Belle," Mary Margaret pointed out. Gold took a deep sigh.

"Brown hair. Beautiful blue eyes and an accent you wouldn't soon forget," he admitted, and felt himself transported back to the Dark Castle with his maid.

"That's the description he gave me," Mary Margaret said, a smile forming on his face.

"And I told you, that's impossible. She's dead," Gold said, this time with sadness in his voice.

"You should make sure next time," a voice said from behind them. The three turned around to see Cora standing in front them. It took the three of them a moment to regain their composure, and Gold was the first.

"Cora, last I heard you were dead," Gold said casually, putting back on his façade of control.

"Well, I wouldn't be the first person you heard wrong about," Cora said with a smile, stepping aside to allow a young woman into view.

"Rumplestiltskin," the young woman greeted with no emotion. Gold's heart stopped for a moment, and he was unable to comprehend the sight in front of him. Conflicting emotions raged through him happiness that she was alive, horror that she was with Cora, and anger at himself for believing Regina's lies.

"Belle," Gold stammered.

**No Regina and company this time because they are still on the way to Manhattan. Next time, we find out what they're up to, plus Cora gives Rumplestiltskin a sadistic choice.**


	9. Chapter 9

_Gold_

Belle wanted nothing more than to run into Rumplestiltskin's arms, but Hook wouldn't allow it. She could see the conflicting emotions flash across her True Love's face, and braced herself for what was to come. Belle knew the next few minutes would be unpleasant for everyone.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, we can continue. You have something that I want, and I have something that you want, and I want the dagger," Cora said bluntly. Gold forced a small smirk.

"Do you really think I'm going to just sit here and let you live dearie?" he asked darkly, barely controlling his voice.

"Of course. If you don't, she dies," Cora said casually.

"Not if I kill you first," Gold said, rage finally spilling over into his speech.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, crocodile," Belle said, speaking words that weren't her own. Gold recognized the phrasing instantly.

"Hook," he muttered darkly. Gold realized then why Belle stood so still; they had her heart.

"So? Do we have deal?" Cora asked, believing the Dark One to be trapped.

"Do you really expect me to give you the dagger just so you can have me kill Belle myself?" Gold asked, struggling to regain what little composure he had left. "I'm no fool. I know that even if I give you the dagger Belle will die," he said bitterly. Belle allowed herself to feel a bit of hope that Gold wouldn't give up his dagger. She knew doing so would be his death physically and emotionally.

Unfortunately for everyone, Cora and Hook expected Gold's refusal. Belle collapsed to the ground as a sharp pain surged through her chest thanks to Hook. "Belle!" Gold exclaimed, rushing forward before David held him back. Belle immediately looked Gold in the eyes and shook her head, giving him the fierce, determined look she always got when she refused to back down.

"You know what? Take all the time you need to decide. However, for every hour that passes without a decision, the girl will pay the price. When you have made your decision, return here alone. If anyone comes with you, the girl will die. If anyone comes here besides you, the girl will die. I look forward to your decision," Cora said with a smile before disappearing with Belle.

David, Gold, and Mary Margaret stood in silence for a moment before David spoke. "What do you plan on doing?" he asked Gold, who immediately turned to leave the docks.

"We can't give her the dagger. If we do everyone will die, but I refuse to do nothing and let Belle die. We need to find her, but we'll have to be quick about it," Gold said grimly.

"We'll search for Belle and you can take care of your dagger," Mary Margaret said, and Gold hesitated for a moment. He would prefer to search for Belle himself, but Gold wasn't sure if the couple in front of him was capable of protecting his dagger from Cora.

"All right," Gold said reluctantly. "I will join you as soon as I obtain the dagger," he finished.

"Now, we need to do this as quickly and efficiently as possible. The longer we take the worse it will be for Belle. Do we have anyway to buy some time?" David asked. Gold pondered his question for a moment.

"There is only one person who might be able to delay her, and that's Regina," Gold said.

"I'll call her. David can start searching for Belle and you can get the dagger. Do you have any idea where they might be keeping her?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I can't find her with my magic so they must be somewhere warded. Cora can't know her way around town very well, so they will probably be close to where they entered our realm," Gold said.

"What about Cora's threat? Do you think she'll kill Belle if we search for her?" David asked.

"I doubt it. If the dagger is what she truly wants then she won't kill Belle unless it is absolutely necessary. She's the only leverage Cora has against me. Hook is the one that concerns me most. Cora wants power, but all Hook wants is revenge and that makes him dangerous," Gold said.

"All right, let's get to it," Mary Margaret said. David looked over to Gold and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We will find her," David said reassuringly.

* * *

_Greg_

After David, Mary Margaret and Gold went their separate ways, Greg stepped out from his hiding spot. Taking a stroll across the pier, he took out his phone and dialed Tamara, who picked up immediately.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Tamara, it's me. There's definitely something going on here," Greg said, taking a look around. One particular sight caught his attention, a flock of birds that appeared to be resting on thin air.

"Should I come down here?" Tamara asked.

"Yes. I think I just found some physical proof," Greg said, grabbing some sand and scattering it in several positions, where it appeared to float.

"What sort of proof?" Tamara asked.

"I think it's a ship. An invisible one," Greg said, preparing to find out for sure. "I'm going to check it out," he added.

"Be careful. I'll be there in a few hours," Tamara said, hanging up.

With that, Greg stepped onto the invisible pirate ship.

* * *

_Regina_

"Are we there yet?" Henry asked excitedly.

"No, we still have a few hours to go. Do you think Mary Margaret and David have found anything about the fire?" Emma asked.

"I don't know. There is something wrong with what happened," Regina said, and her cellphone rang. "That must be them right now. Hello?" she answered.

"Regina? We have a huge problem," Mary Margaret said, urgency in her voice.

"What is it?" Regina asked.

"Cora's in Storybrooke," Mary Margaret said and Regina froze.

"Let me put you on speaker phone," Regina said after a moment. "Are you sure my mother's there?" she asked. She didn't want Henry listening in, but Emma needed to know what was going on. Besides, Regina knew Henry would discover the situation soon enough.

"Positive. She wants Rumplestiltskin's dagger and is using a girl named Belle as a hostage. We are trying to find her, and Gold thinks you might be able to buy us some time," Mary Margaret said, explaining the situation as quickly as possible. Emma immediately whipped the car around and pressed down on the gas. "Oh, and a "Hook" is with her too. He has Belle's heart," Mary Margaret said.

"We're on our way back right now," Regina said, processing what she just heard. "Cora must be the reason I couldn't find Belle," she said to Emma.

"And she had to be the one that set the shop on fire," Emma agreed.

"Wait, you two know about Belle?" Mary Margaret asked.

"It's a long story. Right now, you need to focus on finding her. We'll be back in Storybrooke as soon as we possible," Emma said.

"Good luck," Regina said.

"You too," Mary Margaret said, hanging up the phone.

**Next time, a confrontation on the Jolly Roger!**


	10. Chapter 10

**This first section occurs right before Greg's in the last chapter.**

_Belle_

"It appears they are searching for her, but it looks like Rumplestiltskin is going after the dagger instead. Makes sense, after all it is his," Hook said, from the deck of the Jolly Roger.

"Which means everything is going according to plan. Speaking of, I require the girl's heart," Cora said smiling, holding out a hand. Hook reluctantly handed the older woman the glowing red heart. "Thank you," she said.

"Don't forget, I still expect my revenge. I want him to crush her heart like he did Milah's," Hook said darkly.

"And he will. With the Dark One's powers we will be able to do anything we wish. Your revenge and my daughter will be ours," Cora said with complete and utter confidence.

"Regina is your daughter isn't she? Do you really think she will accept you after you murder all of these people?" Belle asked, connecting the dots in her mind.

"Well, Regina is the Evil Queen," Hook pointed out with a chuckle.

"She will come to me when she has no one else left. She has to," Cora said, her smile fading.

"No, she won't. The Evil Queen I knew planned on using me the same way you are using me right now, but this woman, Regina, freed me. She's found someone who loves her even if she doesn't realize it, and I believe that love has changed her for the better. Killing these people is not the way to win your daughter's love, not when she knows what love really is," Belle said determinedly. Hook laughed.

"I know her majesty well, and I can assure you that her heart is just as black as mine, if not darker," Hook said with a smirk.

"Her heart is not black, and we are not evil. I'm simply a mother doing what's best for my daughter," Cora said, not amused by Hook's implications.

"Murdering people to earn her love is what's best for her?" Belle asked, horrified. She failed to see the logic behind Cora's statement.

"I have to agree with the wench on this," Hook said with a smirk, chuckling when saw Cora frown.

"Neither of you understand the choices a mother must make. I must ensure that my daughter is safe and powerful. I refuse to let her be looked down by someone just because they are of a higher station. No, she will be at the top. She is and must be the queen," Cora said, giving Hook and Belle a rare insight to her true motivations. Neither was able to answer as a strange, creaking sound permeated the air. All three turned to see Greg standing there.

"Hey, am I interrupting anything?" he asked casually. Greg didn't fail to notice the glowing red object in Cora's hand or the strange aura that surrounded her. He knew he would have to be careful, as he had no doubt these people would kill him if he gave them the chance.

"How did you get on this ship?" Cora asked, her mood worsening. Meanwhile, Belle slowly made a few seeming innocent steps towards this stranger.

"Sorry, it just seemed strange. It looked like there were birds floating in midair, and I had to find out what it was. I guess I've always been little too curious," Greg said chuckling.

"And just who might you be?" Hook asked, not recognizing the man. He hadn't spent much time in the Enchanted Forest, but something about their intruder didn't seem right.

"My name is Greg, Greg Mendell," Greg said calmly.

"Well, Greg, I'm afraid I can't let you leave this ship. You know what they say about curiosity and cats," Hook said with a chuckle. He walked towards the stranger and prepared to strike before something caught his attention. "Cora!" he called just as Belle lunged towards the sorceress. Cora reacted perfectly, disappearing from sight.

"Clever, but I'm afraid I don't have time to play with you anymore. I have a date with the Dark One," Cora said smiling, disappearing completely this time.

"Nice trick. You almost had her," Hook said, almost sounding impressed. A large crack sounded as a large metal object connected with the back of his head, knocking him out instantly. Belle looked to the deliverer of the blow to see Greg standing there.

"Are you all right?" Greg asked. He may be there to eliminate magic, but the girl in front of him didn't appear to be magical.

"For the most part. Thank you, for that," Belle said, the wheels in her head turning. She needed to warn the others about the trap before it was too late. "My name's Belle," she said, turning to leave.

"What was that the woman was carrying? The red glowing object, it almost looked like a heart," Greg said.

"I'm afraid I don't have time to explain. I need to find someone otherwise a lot of people are going to die," Belle said, walking off of the ship.

"Let me help you then," Greg said. He didn't really care what happened to the individuals in the town, but realized that helping this girl might help him get close to the town's residents, something that would be useful in the days to come. Belle appeared to think it over, and realized she didn't have much of a choice.

"All right. I need to find someone by the name of Mr. Gold," Belle said.

_Regina_

"So what can we expect from Cora?" Emma asked. They were making good time back to Storybrooke, but it would still be at least another hour or two before they made it home.

"She wants power, specifically me in power. I did try to kill her so she may be after revenge, but power has always been her biggest motivation. It makes sense that she would be after the Dark One's dagger, but I'm still not sure what she's after," Regina admitted.

"Maybe it has something to do with you. You haven't seen her in a long time right? She might just want to have you back," Henry suggested. He realized the situation was messed up, but believed family might be the answer.

"That's possible, but not likely. I think the big question here is why did she burn down Gold's shop?" Regina asked. Emma's eyes widened as she started putting the pieces together.

"She knew you would be the main suspect," Emma deduced.

"And if everyone in town rejected you, you'd want to go back to her!" Henry exclaimed, understanding Emma's theory. Regina frowned.

"As much as I hate to admit it that sounds like my mother" Regina confessed.

"Well, her plan didn't work. We believed you didn't do it," Emma pointed out.

"Which is why she wants the dagger. If she forces the Dark One to kill all those that believed in me, then she will be all I have left. That's my mother all right," Regina said bitterly. Emma and Henry's eyes widened in horror.

"That's horrible!" Henry exclaimed. Emma couldn't help but agree. Regina just sighed.

"You can't change the past, only the future. I'd hate to think about where I'd be right now if it weren't for you two. I didn't think it was possible for me to feel like a part of a family, but this past week I really have. And I won't let her destroy my family," Regina said, her resolve hardening. Emma and Henry smiled.

"_We_ won't let her destroy _our_ family," Emma corrected.

**And with this chapter, this story now has the most chapters of any of my stories :)**


	11. Chapter 11

_Belle_

"So, this guy we're looking for, you said his name was Mr. Gold right?" Greg asked as they made there way into town from the docks.

"Yes," Belle said, remembering the name Regina gave her well.

"As in the guy who's shop burned down?" Greg asked, hoping they were the same person. He hadn't forgotten about the magic he saw the older man use earlier, and he could taste the dislike he had for the mayor. What better way to take out the magical creatures then to let them kill each other?

"I believe so," Belle said, quickening her pace. She was desperate to find someone, anyone that might lead her to her True Love. Fortunately, she saw a familiar blond and rushed up to him. "Excuse me, I need your help," Belle said urgently.

"Hey, I was wondering what happened to you. Did you find Gold?" Whale asked. He was surprised to see the girl again.

Belle shook her head. "No, but I need to find him. It's a matter of life and death," she explained hastily.

"Try calling Mary Margaret, she might know where to find him," Whale said, recalling his earlier conversation with the woman.

"Call?" Belle asked, very confused. In her desperation she had forgotten that she knew nothing about this world at all.

"Yeah, with a cellphone," Whale said, surprised by her puzzled expression.

"Sorry, I don't know what that is. I've been locked up," Belle said, hoping Whale would understand. Fortunately, he caught on immediately.

"All right, I'll call her then. Just hold this up to your ear and speak into it. She'll be able to hear you and you'll be able to hear her," Whale said, dialing Mary Margaret's number and handing Belle the phone.

"Hello?" Mary Margaret answered immediately.

"Um, this is Belle," Belle started hesitantly, not sure what to make of the strange device. It took Mary Margaret a moment to answer.

"Belle? You managed to escape?" she asked, feeling hopeful.

"Sort of. Cora still has my heart. I need to find Rumple; he's walking straight into a trap. When he tries to take the dagger, Cora will confront him, and will offer my heart for the dagger. She knew how you would react and planned for it," Belle hastily explained. Greg didn't fail to notice the talk of hearts.

"I'll call Gold immediately. He's headed to the library, at the clock tower if you're close. I'll be at the diner if you aren't," Mary Margaret said, hanging up.

"I thought his name was Gold?" Greg asked, feigning surprise.

"Rumple's just a nickname I gave him," Belle said, knowing it wasn't a lie. Whale couldn't help but snicker.

"So are you going after him?" Greg asked, not buying Belle's explanation.

"No," Belle said, not explaining herself. Truthfully, she knew that going there while Cora had her heart would be needlessly dangerous for the both of them. Belle longed to see Rumplestiltskin, but refused to jeopardize everything while they were dealing with Cora.

"And here I was thinking I'd found a nice and quiet town," Greg said chuckling. He couldn't believe his luck, having found and helped this girl who seemed to be connected to a powerful magical being.

"This town is far from quiet," Whale said frowning.

* * *

_Gold_

It hadn't taken long for Gold to reach the Storybrooke library, and without a second thought he opened the door with the key. The place was dark and dreary, and hadn't been stepped in since the day the curse broke a little over a week ago. Gold frowned, surprised at how little time had passed. Just this morning his biggest concern was his pawnshop burning down, but now Gold was trying to save the woman he loved.

"This has certainly been a busy day," he noted with a bitter laugh. As he made his way up the tower he heard his cell ring. Irritated about being disturbed, he reluctantly answered when he saw that it was Mary Margaret. "What is it?" Gold asked, unintentionally snapping at the woman on the other line.

"Gold, don't get the dagger. Belle says it's a trap," Mary Margaret said. At the mention of Belle's name he froze.

"You found Belle?" Gold asked hopefully, the trap part of the message not registering.

"She escaped, but Cora still has her heart. She said Cora is waiting for you to get the dagger, and will make you choose between the dagger and her," Mary Margaret said. Before Gold could answer, Cora appeared right in front of him.

"Cora," Gold said coldly, furious at himself for leading her right to the dagger. Mary Margaret immediately hung up to let the others know what was happening.

"I'll make this simple. The dagger for the girl's heart," Cora said, jumping straight to business.

"Why don't we take this somewhere a little more open?" Gold suggested, plucking the dagger from its hiding place.

"What do you have in mind?" Cora asked with a smile. She could see the desperation in the Dark One's eyes.

"Why here of course," Gold said as he whisked them away to a far more open space.

The town line.

* * *

_Regina_

"Are we there yet?" Henry asked, nervousness evident in his voice.

"Almost. It won't be long now," Emma said. She was thankful they hadn't run into any cops, but Emma now regretted taking her bug. Regina's car would have been able to go much faster, but there was no point dwelling on what couldn't be changed. A ringing phone broke the silence.

"Hello?" Regina answered instantly.

"Cora just confronted Gold. We have Belle, but Cora has her heart still. We'll meet you at the town line," Mary Margaret said, quickly updating the trip on the events in town.

"We're almost there. What is going on with Cora and Rumplestiltskin?" Regina asked.

"She's offering Belle's heart in exchange for the dagger. We don't know what he's going to do, but he will have no choice but to decide soon," Mary Margaret said.

"What happened to Hook?" Regina asked.

"Knocked unconscious. Belle says she had some help knocking him out and that they tied him up. He shouldn't be a problem at the moment," Mary Margaret said.

"Is Belle all right?" Regina asked.

"Yes, she's fine, heart not included. We'll see you in a few minutes," Mary Margaret said, hanging up. Regina stayed silent, processing all of the information. Emma sensed her distress and squeezed her hand.

"We will keep everyone safe," she said with a fierce determination.

"After all, the heroes always win, and you are a hero," Henry said grinning.

**Next time, chaos at the town line!**


	12. Chapter 12

_Neal_

"Remind me again, why are we leaving right now?" Neal asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, with the wedding coming up I thought it would be nice to spend some time away from everything. Just a small town in Maine with all the privacy we could want," Tamara said with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"So what's the name of this quiet little town?" Neal asked, kissing his fiancé.

"Storybrooke," Tamara said, and Neal froze. "What's wrong?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Nothing," he lied. Truthfully, Neal's mind went straight to the postcard he received earlier in the week, sent from Storybrooke, Maine with a single word on it: broken. Neal knew the postcard came from August which meant the curse was broken. It also meant his father would start searching for him. The last thing Neal wanted was to see his father again, and going straight to his location would not help.

"Come on, you can tell me anything. If you don't want go I'm sure we can find some other way to spend the weekend," Tamara said suggestively. Neal chuckled.

"You know what? It sounds like fun," Neal said, wanting to please Tamara. Besides, it couldn't be the same town he received the postcard from. There was no way Tamara would know about it if it was.

"Thank you. Come on, let's get going," Tamara said, giving Neal a kiss.

And with that, Storybrooke would soon gain two more visitors...

* * *

_Belle_

"We have to hurry. Regina and Emma should be at the town line soon," David said as he, Mary Margaret and Belle jumped into the car.

"I hope Regina can help us with this," Mary Margaret said sighing.

"I know she can. Regina is the reason Cora wants Rumplestiltskin's dagger. She wants to have him kill everyone so that Regina will go back to her," Belle explained as David drove.

"That's horrible!" Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"We will stop her," David vowed. The town line was coming into view and two figures appeared from smoke. "Clever," he noted. Gold knew Regina would be coming back to town, so what better way to buy sometime than to have Cora on the welcoming committee? David pulled up and Cora frowned as she saw them get out.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Cora asked, not amused or impressed.

"Stopping you," Mary Margaret said fiercely. Just a few minutes, they just needed to buy a few minutes...

"I thought Hook was supposed to be watching you," Cora said to Belle, unsurprised that Hook failed.

"He could have used a hand," Belle said calmly, not realizing the bad pun she made until it was already spoken.

"Well, no matter. Make your choice Rumplestiltskin," Cora said, growing impatient. The turn of events was not expected, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. "Give me the dagger!" she demanded when Gold refused to move.

"And why should I do that dearie? You plan killing her anyway," Gold said coldly, still stalling. Where was Regina? Cora frowned and squeezed Belle's heart, causing the girl to collapse in pain while clutching her chest. It took every ounce of control Gold had not to kill Cora or rush to Belle's side. Just a little longer...

David was the first to see a car on the horizon, and breathed a sigh of relief to see the yellow bug. Gold soon saw it and stepped out of the way. Rather than slow down, the car appeared to speed up and crashed right into Cora before slowing down to a stop. Belle's heart flew backwards from Cora's hands where Gold caught it, but not without taking a few steps back. Regina and Emma helped Henry out of the bug while David helped Belle to her feet.

"Are you three okay?" Mary Margaret asked, concern showing in her voice.

"That was awesome," Henry said in a bit of a daze. Emma let out a shaky laugh and Regina gave a small smile.

"We're all in one piece," Emma said. The bug was ruined, but they needed to find out if Cora was still alive. She looked to Regina who shook her head.

"She's dead," Regina said with no emotion in her voice. She looked from David and Belle to Gold to see how they were doing. Belle started towards Gold but David held her back with a pitying look in his eyes. Gold stood still, staring at the heart in his hand as if he were puzzled.

"What are you doing? Let go of me," Belle said, puzzled by the prince's actions.

"You can't cross the town line. If you do you lose your memory," David said grimly, and Belle took another at Gold and gasped, realizing what David meant.

Rumplestiltskin was over the town line.

**I apologize for the shortness of this chapter and for doing this to poor Rumplestiltskin. Next time, the aftermath!**


	13. Chapter 13

_Belle_

Gold stepped towards them, eyeing Belle's heart curiously. "What on Earth is this?" he asked. "What happened here?" Gold asked, noticing the scene around him.

"Just a car crash. No one was hurt, and that gem belongs to this lovely young woman," Regina said, leading him over to Belle. "She brought it to you to see if it was worth anything, but she'd like it back for...sentimental reasons," she explained.

"I've never met her before," Gold said frowning. He handed Belle her heart back regardless. Paramedics began to arrive on the scene, taking Cora's mangled body with them.

"Well, her name is Isabelle French, though everyone calls her Belle," Regina offered when Belle hadn't spoken.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss French, though I dare say the circumstances could better," Gold said politely. He appeared to only be tolerating everyone's presence with a disinterested look on his face.

"I prefer Belle," Belle stammered, finally finding her tongue.

"Well, I believe David and Mary Margaret can take you home Mr. Gold. They can help you get settled as well, Belle. I will stay with Emma and Henry to sort this mess out," Regina said, her inner mayor coming out.

"Of course, right this way," Mary Margaret said, leading them to the car. Belle carefully held her heart close, knowing she would need someone to put it back in her chest when Gold left. She sat in the backseat next to Gold, and was frustrated at being so close and yet so far from him.

The ride was initially spent in silence, and Gold only muttered a reluctant thanks as he was dropped off at his home. As they made their way towards Granny's Diner, everyone knew they needed to talk.

"Here, let me help you with that," Mary Margaret said, gently placing Belle's heart back in her chest. It hurt a little, but Belle immediately felt relieved to have her heart back in her chest.

"Thank you," Belle said, breathing a relaxed sigh. "Do you have any idea how I can get his memory back?" she asked after a moment.

"True love's kiss," Mary Margaret answered immediately.

"It's not quite that simple. You need him to fall in love with you again, which could be very easy or very difficult. I spent most of the curse in a coma, so I don't have much experience with Mr. Gold," David admitted.

"I didn't realize he'd lost his memories when the curse hit. Regina can probably tell you the most about him. So what happened to you under the curse? And what's going on between you and Rumpledtiltskin? I heard you went with him to save your people, but no one seems to know what happened after that," Mary Margaret said.

"I worked in his castle, and we eventually fell in love. After an incident with True Love's kiss he threw me out, where Regina captured me. I was locked up until we came here, and I stayed locked up until Regina let me go last night," Belle explained. "Now I have a question. Why are we here and how did we get here?" she asked. Regina had said nothing of the curse while she kept Belle prisoner.

"Regina cast a curse, to bring us to this land so she could get her happy ending. Everyone except for her had no memory of their life in our land, and the curse was specially designed to ensure no one except her had a happy ending. This world is called Earth, and there used to be no magic here until Gold brought it back," David explained.

"We aren't sure why he brought it here," Mary Margaret admitted. "Ah, here's Granny's Diner. They'll help you get settled," Mary Margaret said, leading Belle into the diner.

"Mary Margaret!" Ruby exclaimed, giving her friend a hug. "Is everything okay? We heard what happened at the town line. Did Gold really cross the line?" Ruby asked, concern for her friend showing.

"Yes and unfortunately yes," Mary Margaret said. "You remember Belle from earlier right? She needs a place to stay and we don't have room in my apartment. We'll take care of the cost," she added.

"Don't worry about it. We're getting plenty of business thanks to Greg. Why don't I show you to your room?" Ruby suggested, leading Belle upstairs. "Where are your things?" she asked, noticing the girl carried nothing.

"I don't have any. I've been locked up," Belle admitted sheepishly.

"I'm sure I can find something of mine for you to wear. You're a bit smaller than I am, but that will have to work until we can take you shopping tomorrow," Ruby said, going off to find something for Belle to wear. Belle took a look around and collapsed on the bed with a sigh. She felt elated to finally be free, but also felt a crushing sensation of pain as she remembered how Gold didn't even recognize her. Belle sat up, hardening her resolve.

"I will help you remember," Belle vowed.

* * *

_Mary Margaret_

"Do you really think she'll be able to get Gold to fall in love with her?" David asked as they drove home.

"Love works in mysterious ways. Regina may be able to help her. Speaking of, I hope Regina's all right," Mary Margaret said.

"Henry and Emma are with her. They'll take care of her. But what are we going to do about Greg? From what Belle said he's seen a bit of magic today. He found her on an invisible pirate ship," David pointed. Mary Margaret sighed.

"I don't know. He'll still be here tomorrow, so I think we shouldn't worry about it anymore. It's been a long day for all of us," Mary Margaret said as they pulled up to her apartment.

"Tomorrow then," David agreed, giving her a kiss.

* * *

_Regina_

"Are you okay?" Emma asked, placing a supportive hand on Regina'a shoulder.

"I'm fine," Regina insisted, though she was unable to peel her eyes from the blood on the pavement. "It had to be done. She would have killed us all," she reasoned calmly.

"But she was still your mom," Henry pointed out.

"No. She was a woman hungry for power," Regina argued, trying to convince herself. Emma wasn't blind to the internal battle raging in Regina and gave her a hug in a rare display of emotion. She had no words for the queen, but to Regina to gesture said everything. "Thank you," she said earnestly, and Henry joined in on the hug.

"You are not alone," Emma said with a small smile.

"Yeah, you can't get rid of us," Henry said grinning. "Are we going to still find Baelfire?" he asked as everyone separated.

"Right now we need to focus in getting Gold's memory back. It won't do any good for us to find him a son he doesn't remember. Besides, we still have this "Hook" to deal with and the stranger," Emma said.

"I'll help Belle with Gold. After what I've put the two of them through I owe them that at least. We need to find out how much Greg knows about us and magic, and for our sake I hope it's not much," Regina said. Emma grimaced.

"Our troubles are just beginning," she noted.

"We can handle it," Henry said confidently and Regina and Emma laughed.

"Yes we can," Regina said, sharing a smile with Emma.

* * *

_Neal_

Several hours after the rest of Storybrooke fell asleep, the door to Granny's Diner opened. "How can I help you?" Ruby asked, surprised to see two more strangers in town, something that also worried her.

"We need a room for the night, probably for a few," Tamara said with a smile.

"Of course, right this way," Ruby said, leading the two to a room.

"Are we your only guests?" Neal asked, noticing the inn was fairly small.

"No, we have two others at the moment. I'm sure you'll meet them tomorrow," Ruby said. "Have a good night!" she said cheerily as she left the couple alone.

"I think this will be nice," Neal admitted with a smile. He hadn't seen anything to make him think this was his father's Storybrooke.

"I agree," Tamara said with a smile, giving Neal a kiss.

**Next time, sweet dreams!**


	14. Chapter 14

_Regina_

_Regina stood in a familiar cottage, one she hadn't seen since before she became queen. Everything was just as she remembered, the warm fire burning, her father gently milling about, and a soft peace in the air. Regina smiled. She didn't have many happy memories in her childhood, but the cottage would always be her home._

_"Sit down Regina," her father said warmly, and Regina didn't hesitate to. Henry gave her a comforting smile while looked at his daughter, his beautiful daughter. "Why don't you go ride horses before your mother gets home?" he suggested, knowing Cora never really approved of her daughter's favorite thing in the world._

_"I think I will, father," Regina said, giving her father a kiss on the cheek. A familiar, handsome face met her at the door already waiting with a horse and saddle._

_"Your finest horse," Daniel said with a smile and Regina gave him a quick embrace. Henry noticed, but said nothing. "Careful, what about your mother?" Daniel asked quietly._

_"What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Come on," Regina said smiling. The two spent what seemed like hours riding horses and living happily. The sun began to set and Daniel's glow began to fade. "What is it?" Regina asked, concerned._

_"We should get back. She's waiting and she can't see us together," Daniel said with a sigh. He knew this relationship couldn't work, not with Cora in the way._

_"Run away with me. I don't care about her, she can't hurt us," Regina said, kissing Daniel softly._

_"No, but you can," a voice said, snapping the two lovers out of their blissful peace. "You killed your own father and mother," the distinctly feminine voice said as Daniel disappeared and Cora took his place._

_"Why would you kill me? You're all I ever wanted. Is it so wrong to want my daughter to grow up in power, in a better situation then I did?" Cora asked, before disappearing to be replaced by Regina's father, Henry._

_"Was your curse really worth all of this pain?" Henry asked softly. Suddenly others appeared, everyone that Regina ever had a hand in murdering._

_"I loved her and so you decided to kill me," a huntsman stated with a blank expression._

_"All I ever wanted was a mother for my daughter. Did becoming queen really mean that much to you?" A former king asked._

_"What did I ever do to you?" a young gypsy girl asked, confusion in her eyes._

_"We just wanted to protect her," a villager says. More and more people surrounded Regina and she turned to face the mysterious voice, and gasped to see herself as the Evil Queen._

_"Do you really think they will ever love us? No, fear is all we can hope for. There is no going back from murder, not with all of the blood on our hands," her mirror self said with a smirk._

_"No, I'm not that person anymore," Regina said with a quiet determination._

_"Aren't you? Today you killed your own mother. Both of your parents died by your hand, so how long until you kill someone else you supposedly love? It's only a matter of time really. Murder is what the Evil Queen does best," her mirror said with a chuckle._

_"I won't. I'm not the Evil Queen anymore. I am Regina, someone with a family and I am certainly not evil," Regina argued. Her mirror self laughed._

_"You're wrong. I'm still here, and I will always be a part of you. You may think you have gotten rid of me, but you never will," her mirror said, lunging towards Regina._

Regina woke with a start, breathing heavily. She drew some comfort from her surroundings, but the words of the dream haunted her. "It's just a dream," she said to herself. Regina laid back in her bed, trying to drown out the dream, but sleep would no longer come. Unable to sleep, Regina got up and walked downstairs out Mary Margaret's apartment for some fresh air. It didn't take long for the door to open again to reveal a welcome blonde.

"Hey, are you all right?" Emma asked, concerned. It was strange for her to see the mayor looking so vulnerable, and she immediately knew something was wrong.

"Just a dream," Regina said dismissively, sitting down on the porch. Emma instantly sat down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing's just a dream with all of us involved. Today was a very traumatic day for all of us, and you lost your mother even if she was trying to kill all of us. You don't have to try and be strong for everyone, trust me, it's not all it's cracked up to be," Emma said with a small smile and Regina chuckled.

"I don't regret what we did today; that's not what the dream was about. I'm trying to change to be better for Henry's sake, but the part of me that was -is- the Evil Queen still exists. I have too much blood on my hands to be good enough for this family," Regina admitted.

"Maybe that's part of the problem. You keep trying to be 'Good' for other people, so try doing it for yourself. Besides, here you are Regina, not the Evil Queen. She may be a part of you, but she isn't 'you'. Try and remember that," Emma said, giving her shoulder a supportive squeeze.

"Thank you, Emma," Regina said with a smile.

* * *

_Belle_

_Belle awoke to find herself in a padded grey room, with only a glimmer of light shining in. Fearing the worst, that everything had been a dream, she immediately leaped to her feet and slammed her fist against the door. She winced from the pain, but soon after the door opened to reveal a grey-skinned imp._

_"Rumplestiltskin!" Belle exclaimed in happiness, happiness that quickly faded as she neared him and saw a familiar, serious expression. Cautiously she took a few steps closer. "Rumplestiltskin?" she said questioningly._

_"I don't want you any more dearie," he said coldly, and the door shut in between them. "My power means more to me than you," his voice echoed throughout the cell. Belle whipped around to find herself still trapped and alone. "No one, no one could ever, ever love me!" the voice called one more time before going silent, but the silence terrified Belle more than the angry words._

_"Hello?!" she called, desperate for an answer from someone, anyone. "Hello?!" Belle called again, louder and more frantic. The silence was crushing and Belle slammed her fist against the door. "It's just a dream, it's just a dream, it's just a dream!" she repeated to herself hysterically._

Belle woke with tears streaming down her face. "Just a dream," she repeated one last time, getting out of bed. She needed to get out of this room, and part of Belle feared the door to her room wouldn't open. Belle realized her fears were getting the better of her as she opened the door to the hall of Granny's Inn. She was sitting against the wall trying to breathe when the door next door opened to reveal a brown-haired, brown eyed man Belle had never seen before.

"Hey, are you okay?" the man asked, sitting next to her. He looked wide awake, as if he hadn't been asleep at all.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Belle asked, not able to answer his question. She was starting to feel better already, the crushing fear of loneliness and being trapped slowly fading.

"No, my fiancé and I just got here a few hours ago, and I can't really sleep. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. Like Belle, it felt nice to know someone else was there who couldn't sleep. Belle managed a small chuckle.

"It's a long story. Besides, you wouldn't believe me if I told you," Belle admitted, realizing he wasn't from Storybrooke.

"Let me guess, it involves fairytale characters and magic," the man said with a sigh. Every hope he'd had that this wasn't the Storybrooke on the postcard was dashed almost as soon as they entered town, when he saw the clock tower inscribed on the postcard. Belle gave him a questioning look, not sure if he was serious or joking, but his serious expression told her that he knew.

"How do you know about all that?" Belle asked, and the man froze. He'd assumed this woman was a stranger, an outsider like himself and Tamara. The man sighed and decided it would be nice to talk about it with someone, even if it was a perfect stranger.

"I'm from there. My name here is Neal, Neal Cassidy. I'd rather not talk about my time in the Enchanted Forest, but if you need to talk about yours I'm all ears," Neal said, not revealing his real name.

"My name there is Belle. I think it's Isabelle French here, but I'm not sure," Belle admitted, and she wondered what would happen if she crossed the town line. Her cursed persona hadn't really been a person as much as it was a shell.

"Belle huh? So, if you're the Beauty, where's your Beast?" Neal asked, instantly recognizing the fairytale. Belle sighed.

"Lost his memory a few hours ago," she admitted. "I have no doubts we can get it back with True Love's kiss, but he has to fall in love with me again first," Belle said.

"Let me guess, that's what the dream was about," Neal said, and was surprised when Belle shook her head.

"Not really. You know of the curse, right?" Belle asked, and Neal nodded. "Well, I've been locked up by various people for since a few years before the curse was even cast. Today is my first day being completely free, and part of me feared that it was all just a dream," Belle admitted.

"Why would someone keep you locked up?" Neal asked, curious. The woman in front of him seemed like a kind young woman who wouldn't hurt a fly.

"To use me against my True Love," Belle said sighing. Neal frowned. The situation seemed like something few people would ever find themselves in, something only the most powerful persons would have to worry about.

"What is his name?" Neal asked, anxious to hear the answer. He knew it couldn't be his father, after all this girl seemed too good and pure for him. Besides, it had been centuries since he'd been to the Enchanted Forest. Surely it must be someone else.

"Rumplestiltskin," Belle said sighing, and Neal froze. "Is something wrong?" Belle asked, immediately sensing the man's distress. Everything Belle had already said ran through Neal's mind: his father had found love, and now he lost his memory. "Neal?" she asked, concerned.

"Papa," Neal whispered quietly, but not quietly enough to keep Belle from hearing him. Everything clicked into place for Belle.

"Baelfire?" Belle asked hesitantly. Mary Margaret and David filled her in on why Regina, Emma and Henry were gone on their way to the town line. The idea that Rumplestiltskin's son may have found them instead was incredible.

"You know who I am?" Neal asked, and immediately realized it was a stupid question. If his woman was his father's true love he probably told her about his son. Belle nodded. "Wow," Neal said, trying to take everything in.

"I know only a little of your story. I understand if you don't want to share it, but if you do I'll be here to listen," Belle said comfortingly. Neal chuckled.

"Why not, it's not like I'll be getting any sleep tonight. It all started around three centuries ago, back in the Enchanted Forest," Neal began.

The two would swap stories the rest of the night, reminiscing on days long past.

**Up next, good morning!**


	15. Chapter 15

_Neal_

It was bright and early and Tamara was already out training for her marathon. Neal rolled out of bed after getting only about an hour of sleep, showered, and got dressed. With a yawn he walked downstairs for breakfast and saw another person standing at the bar, a man about his age. "Hey," Neal said, and the man gave an acknowledging nod.

"I'm Greg," Greg said politely but curtly.

"I'm Neal. Are you visiting?" Neal asked.

"Yeah. I was just driving around when I found this quiet little town. I decided I'd stay a little while," Greg said.

"Well, it's nice meeting you. My fiancé and I are from Manhattan and we wanted to get some time away and we found this nice little town," Neal said. He and the Greg turned as someone else came downstairs. "Good morning Belle," Neal greeted with a smile.

"Good morning Neal," Belle said, sharing his smile. Like him, she had gotten little sleep last night, though their conversation lasting until almost dawn was a part of that. "Good morning Greg," she added to the other guest. The three of them turned to see the door open.

"Ah, there you are Belle," the woman dressed in all black said.

"How can I help you Regina?" Belle asked with a small smile.

"Well, I hear that you need to go shopping, so I thought I would help out. Besides, I thought we could discuss what to do with your amnesiac lover," Regina said and Belle blushed.

"I'm going to make a wild guess and say Gold lost his memory," Greg said chuckling. "You missed a lot of action yesterday," he explained to Neal, who hid the fact that he already knew everything.

"Regina, I trust you and all, but you aren't supposed to go anywhere without one of us," a voice groaned as the door opened to reveal a blonde woman and a young boy. The woman froze when she looked Neal in the eye. "Neal?" she stammered, caught off guard. Regina was puzzled until she took another look at Henry, and Belle carefully watched the scene unfold. Emma was the one thing she and Neal hadn't talked about, mostly because Belle knew very little about the savior.

"Emma," Neal said, in complete and utter shock. Henry looked between the two adults and frowned.

"What's going on?" Henry asked innocently. "Mom?" he asked Emma and Neal's eyes widened.

"He's your son," Neal said, wondering if his hunch was correct. Emma hesitated, not wanting the truth to come out like this.

"Henry is our son," Regina answered, sparing Emma without telling a lie. Neal looked over the two and chuckled.

"Well that's a surprise," he said, causing Emma and Regina to hide a blush.

"So how do you know Emma?" Henry asked.

"That's a long story kid," Emma said sighing. She didn't like seeing her past catch up to her like this, and Emma knew the truth would come out eventually. "Regina, why don't you go ahead and take Belle shopping? And Henry, why don't you show Neal around?" Emma said. Belle left with Regina without a word, and Henry happily dragged Neal out the door.

"Come on, there's a whole town to meet!" Henry said grinning.

* * *

_Emma_

"The kid is his isn't he?" Greg asked when he and Emma were alone. Emma sighed.

"I need to ask you about yesterday. Did you notice anything strange?" Emma asked, refusing to answer his question. She needed to know how much magic Greg had noticed and Emma hoped the answer was none.

"What do you mean?" Greg asked, feigning ignorance. Emma frowned.

"Anything like an invisible pirate ship?" Emma asked, deadly serious.

"You want to know if I've seen any other magic," Greg deduced immediately. "I have," Greg admitted. Emma's frown deepened. "Look, I know there are some things in this world that can't be explained. I'm just happy I was able to help yesterday. Besides, who would believe me if I tried to tell them I saw magic?" Greg asked. Emma sighed.

"Thank you," Emma said reluctantly. She didn't completely trust Greg, but he had a good point. It wasn't as if they were going to lock him up anyway.

"I'm glad to help, sheriff," Greg said with a smile.

* * *

_Belle_

"So what can you tell me about this Rumple?" Belle asked as they browsed through different clothing.

"He owns almost all of Storybrooke and runs, well, used to run a pawnshop. He is a shrewd and ruthless business man with no loved ones who seems to revel in making others suffer. Gold is always calm, collected, and in control and absolutely never loses his temper. Without magic, he has a limp, an old injury from our world and his beverage of choice is tea," Regina said, and watched as Belle processed the information.

"So basically he's just a more serious and less dangerous version of himself from our land," Belle said, feeling hopeful.

"You think you will be able to get him to fall in love with you?" Regina asked, seeing the hope in Belle's eyes.

"I think so. With any luck it will be easier this time," Belle said and Regina chuckled.

"I suppose we should be thankful it was him and not you that crossed the town line," she mused, and even Belle giggled.

"He would have found a way. I know he would have," Belle said smiling. "True love may not be easy, but it always wins in the end," she said.

"The almighty Dark One, feared by all would do anything to save a pretty girl. Love truly is a strange thing," Regina said smiling. Belle laughed.

"We should be thankful we've found it," Belle said smiling.

"We?" Regina questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Why yes," Belle started, confused by Regina's apparent puzzlement. "You and the blonde, Emma," she said, and Regina blushed.

"Oh, it's nothing like that," Regina protested, but Belle giggled.

"You do love her!" she realized, and with a smile she hugged the queen. "Tell her how you feel. She loves you and I know it. I've known it since I first saw you two together," Belle said supportively. By now the two had finished shopping and began to make their way home.

"You really think so?" Regina asked, uncertain.

"I know so. I know what it's like to be in love and trust me, you're both in it. You just have to tell her," Belle said with a smile.

* * *

_Neal_

Neal stayed quiet as Henry pointed out the various sights and people in Storybrooke, his mind still on Emma. If she was here, this had to be her Storybrooke which meant it was his father's as well. Neal was surprised he hadn't run into him yet and was not looking forward to it. Neither he nor Henry was paying attention as Neal collided into a man walking with a cane.

"Sorry," Neal apologized, and froze when he saw who it was he just ran into.

"Let me help you up Mr. Gold," Henry said, assisting the man to his feet.

"Thank you Henry," Gold said, wincing at the pain in his leg.

"Papa," Neal stammered, still on the floor. Despite all of his mental preparation he still couldn't believe the sight in front of him. His father looked human again.

"I'm sorry, who might you be?" Gold asked impatiently. Neal frowned, remembering that his father had lost his memory.

"Sorry, my name's Neal," Neal said carefully.

"Wait, are you Baelfire?" Henry asked, his jaw dropping. Neal nodded slowly. "We have to find Emma! Sorry to bother you Mr. Gold," Henry apologized, dragging Neal away. Gold watched the pair in confusion before carrying on his way. Henry and Neal found Emma right outside the diner. "Emma!" Henry called. The blonde turned to face them.

"What's going on?" Emma asked, noticing the strange looks on their faces.

"Neal is Baelfire! He's Rumplestlitskin's son and he's here in Storybrooke!" Henry exclaimed, excitement on his face. He frowned as Emma's expression turned from puzzlement to horror.

"You're Rumplestiltskin's son?" Emma demanded incredulously. Rage filled her. "Was this all part of his plan?!" she demanded.

"Why don't we take this somewhere private? I'll explain everything," Neal said calmly, realizing how messy this was becoming. He was thankful he'd already practiced telling his story on Belle.

**Next time, Belle attempts to woo Mr. Gold!**


	16. Chapter 16

_Mary Margaret_

"Here we are," David said, pulling up by the dock. The two got out of the car and searched the dock for the invisible ship, easily spotted by the seagulls. Taking a deep breath, David and Mary Margaret stepped onto the ship, hoping to find a pirate tied to the mast.

"Of course he's not here," Mary Margaret said sighing. They hadn't had time to make sure he was tied up yesterday, not with everything that happened.

"We'll find him. Belle described him as a leather-clad pirate with a hook. It won't be hard to find him, and we know that he's after Belle and Gold. Regina's already said she'll keep an eye on them. He won't escape," David said reassuringly.

"We won't let him," Mary Margaret agreed, with a fierce determination. She didn't care that he was only after Gold; she refused to let Hook try to harm anyone.

"Let's head to town to see if anyone has seen him," David said. "We need to alert everyone anyway," he added.

"Right. The sooner we find him the better. Dealing with Gold's memory loss and Greg are going to be challenging enough," Mary Margaret said, getting back into the car.

"The sooner Greg leaves the better. Emma was supposed to ask him about magic this morning to find out how much he saw. Hopefully he saw very little, but we know he was on the invisible pirate ship," David said, driving away.

"We'll take care of him. Besides, who would believe him if he started talking about magic? It doesn't exist in this land," Mary Margaret pointed out.

"You're right. We'll take care of this," David said smiling.

* * *

_Belle_

After parting ways with Regina when they finished shopping, Belle decided to learn her way around Storybrooke. The technology still baffled her, but she had learned quite a bit in her short time in the real world. As she walked by the library, Belle almost ran right into Mr. Gold.

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically, thankful she hadn't crashed into him. Belle couldn't believe her luck, running into Gold already. Gold sighed.

"I suppose I should be thankful you didn't run into me," Gold admitted dryly, remembering his earlier encounter. He unlocked the door to the library.

"So, Mr. Gold, what are you doing here at the library? I heard it's been closed for years," Belle asked, curious. She casually walked in with him like it was a completely normal thing. Gold eyed Belle with annoyance and curiosity.

"My pawnshop burned to the ground and I need a place to conduct my business," Gold said casually.

"Well, if you ever need an assistant I'd be happy to help. I'm looking for a job but no one seems to be hiring," Belle admitted.

"I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you then. I have no intention of hiring anyone, especially not some girl without the sense to watch where she walks," Gold said shortly. Belle frowned, realizing this wouldn't be as easy as she thought.

"I suppose I'll have to volunteer then. This is a public library after all," Belle said stubbornly.

"And just why would a young woman such as yourself be so interested in working here at the library?" Gold asked, frowning as well. He was impressed by the woman's audacity, but knew it wouldn't last when she got to know him.

"Well, I do love books. Besides, I have to find some way to spend my days," Belle said, shrugging it off.

"Most girls would prefer to hang out with friends or boyfriends. Most girls would go shopping. Most girls would know to stay away from the town monster," Gold said with a dark smirk.

"You're not a monster. Besides, you can't know what's in a person's heart unless you truly know them," Belle argued, hoping to spark something, a memory, in Gold.

"If that's true, then what makes you so sure that I'm not a monster?" Gold retorted with a smirk. Belle hid her disappointment, but crossed her arms.

"I suppose there's only one way to find out. Now, these shelves look like they haven't been dusted in years. Did you bring a feather duster?" Belle asked, determined to make this work. "If you plan on working today, do you really want your customers to see the place like this?" Belle asked when he looked at her with a bemused expression. Gold let out a small chuckle.

"You're very determined," Gold noted. "There should be a feather duster behind the desk," he conceded due to his curiosity. Belle bit back a triumphant smile as she set to work. She knew getting him to fall in love with her would take a while, but this was a great start. "Why are you intent on working here Miss French?" Gold asked as he set up behind the desk while she dusted.

"Please, call me Belle. And I told you, I love books and I need some way to spend my day," Belle said, choosing her words carefully. She hated the way 'Miss French' sounded. Gold gave a small chuckle as he continued his work. He knew he wouldn't be able to peel his eyes off of the strange, beautiful girl all morning.

* * *

_Neal_

"Explain," Emma said as soon as she and Neal were alone. Seeing him after so long was a big enough shock, finding out he was Rumplestiltskin's son was another. "Are you his son?" she asked, wanting to hear the answer from him.

"Yes," Neal said quietly.

"Was this all a trick? Did you know who I was?" Emma demanded. Neal gave a deep sigh.

"If I had known you were the savior I wouldn't have gone anywhere near you. I came here to escape magic and the last thing I wanted was to get dragged back into it. Our mutual friend August told me who you were and I panicked and ran. Not a day goes by that I'm not sorry about abandoning you," Neal apologized. Emma's eyes widened.

"You left me to rot in jail because Pinocchio told you to?" Emma asked, completely horrified by the confession at first before realizing it didn't matter much to her anymore. It had been years ago, and she had moved on. Besides, now she knew why he left her. Neal winced.

"I'm sorry. But now I have a question for you. What's the story behind you, the kid, and your partner?" Neal asked.

"By 'partner' I guess you mean Regina, and she's a friend. There's nothing going on," Emma admitted dismissively, almost sounding as if she regretted the fact.

"Then what about the boy, Henry?" Neal asked, not buying it. Emma sighed.

"In a way, she was telling the truth. Regina adopted him and I'm...his birth mother," she admitted reluctantly.

"You mean?" Neal stammered and Emma nodded. "I have a son," Neal said, not believing his ears.

"I haven't told him about you, and I'd prefer to keep it that way until everything calms down," Emma confessed.

"I understand," Neal said reluctantly.

"So what brings you to Storybrooke? Obviously it wasn't me or Gold, but there must be some reason you're here," Emma asked. Neal sighed, knowing it was his turn for a confession.

"It was my fiancé's idea. She found the town and suggested that we get away from the city. Her name is Tamara," Neal admitted, bracing himself for Emma's reaction.

"Fiancé, huh? Well congratulations," Emma said, completely genuine. "I'd like to meet her," she added.

"I'd like that too," Neal said smiling.

**Next time, discover Hook's fate!**


	17. Chapter 17

_Belle_

"What are you doing?" Gold asked, and Belle almost fell from the familiarity of the phrase. "Careful," he warned, stepping closer to make sure she didn't fall. Belle, standing on top of the ladder to dust the tops of the bookshelves, giggled.

"See, you do care," Belle said with a smile.

"I can't have someone injured in my library while I'm around. It would be a nightmarish law suit," Gold said dismissively, but Belle saw right through it. The silence was broken was broken by a rumbling sound.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Belle apologized, realizing it was her stomach.

"Go get some lunch. I can't have your growling stomach distracting any customers," Gold snapped, helping Belle down the ladder. Belle smirked.

"I'll get you something as well. You can't go around scaring people on an empty stomach," she quipped and Gold had to suppress a laugh. He couldn't but notice how well the girl knew him considering he just met her yesterday.

"Just get me a burger from Granny's. Don't worry about a drink, I plan on fixing tea for myself," Gold said, sounding disinterested.

"Well, make sure you have enough tea for two," Belle said, much to Gold's surprise.

"How do you take it?" Gold asked, convinced she was lying.

"Same way as you, with a spoonful of honey," Belle said casually. Gold couldn't help but stare as she walked out of the library.

"How does she know that?" Gold asked himself, puzzled.

* * *

_Neal_

"So, does Tamara know who you really are?" Emma asked as they walked into Granny's.

"No," Neal admitted as he and Emma took a seat. "She won't believe me," he protested.

"Look, if she's marrying you then she needs to know. It would be better if you told her rather than her stumbling across magic here," Emma pointed out. She looked behind her as she heard the door open and looked back to Neal.

"Hey Neal, hey Emma," Belle said smiling, ordering two Granny Burgers at the counter.

"Two burgers? Let me guess, lunch date?" Neal asked, and Emma raised an eyebrow. Belle nodded. "How is that going so far?" he asked.

"It could be better, but it could be a lot worse. I'd forgotten how much he hides behind that uncaring façade," Belle admitted.

"How long do you think it will take to get his memories back?" Neal asked. After centuries, he wanted to reconcile with his father, especially after talking to Belle the previous night.

"A few months at the most, maybe less. Right now I intrigue him since I refuse to back down, and I'm pretty sure that's one of the reasons he fell in love with me in our world, so I'm feeling very optimistic," Belle said with a smile.

"Wait, you already know who Neal is?" Emma asked, puzzled.

"Neither of us could sleep last night. We ran into each other and started talking and discovered our connection to my father, so we talked about that all night," Neal explained.

"Did you know about my connection to Neal this morning?" Emma asked Belle, hoping the girl hadn't kept something so huge from her. Belle shook her head.

"No, we didn't talk about you. I don't know much about the curse so I didn't even realize you were the savior. He talked about the woman he loved and left, but never said your name so I didn't put it together until you two saw each other again," Belle said honestly.

"So, you're helping her bring back Gold's memory?" Emma asked, and Neal nodded.

"I'm still angry at him for leaving me as well as for other things, but Belle here really thinks he has good in him. I want the chance to talk to him about everything that happened and who knows, maybe I can have my father back," Neal admitted.

"Speaking of fathers, do you know if mine is in Storybrooke? I haven't seen him since long before Regina cast the curse," Belle asked, hoping Emma would be able to answer. Emma thought it over for a moment when she realized who her father would be.

"He is," Emma started hesitantly. "But I have to warn you, he and Gold had a bit of an incident under the curse. Moe French, as he's called in this world, stole several items from Gold. I was able to recover most of the objects, but Gold said something was missing and went and attacked Moe, giving him a nasty beating with his cane," Emma confessed. Belle frowned and sighed.

"I suppose I should be thankful he didn't flay him," she said bitterly. "Do you know what it was that my father stole?" Belle asked, feeling angry at Gold for his actions, but certain there was more to the story.

"Just the objects I was able to get back. I'm pretty sure there was one other object at least, but I don't know what it was. Regina may know that and why Moe took it," Emma suggested.

"Well, thank you. I'll have to stop by and see my father today," Belle said, thinking everything over while she grabbed her order and left.

"You've known my father longer in this world than me or her have. Do you think he has good in him?" Neal asked after Belle disappeared, curious about Emma's response.

"Honestly, I don't know. I can tell he has good intentions sometimes, but he's not afraid to do horrible things to reach his goal. If anyone can find the good in him it's you and Belle," Emma said shrugging.

* * *

_Greg_

"Are you sure he's going to cooperate?" Greg asked Tamara, unsure what to make of the pirate tied up in front of him. It hadn't been hard for Tamara to nab him while everyone else was busy with their own lives.

"Well, I like having my freedom, and I'm curious as to what you two are after," Hook said before Tamara could answer. His head still ached from where Greg had knocked him out the previous day.

"What we want is simple: the death of all magical creatures. Magic doesn't belong in this world and we want to keep it out," Tamara said, eager to get the pirate captain on their side.

"Including Rumplestiltskin?" Hook asked, intrigued. Greg gave him a grin.

"He can use magic can't he?" Greg retorted, knowing full and well that he could. It was Hook's turn to smile.

"If I get revenge on the crocodile you can count me in. Now, where can I find him?" Hook asked, eager to get his revenge.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. You see, we need you to help us discover a way to take out the magic before we let you free. Besides, I think you'll revenge will be a lot sweeter if you wait. Mr. Gold, as they call him in this world, has lost his memories," Greg said, and Hook frowned.

"Please, explain to me how you expect me to enjoy getting revenge on a man who can't even remember why I want him dead," Hook said dryly.

"Do you really think they're doing nothing to help him regain his memory? Between the girl and his son, I doubt it will take long," Tamara said dismissively.

"Baelfire is here?" Hook asked, surprised by the announcement.

"He's my fiancé," Tamara said with a smirk. Hook couldn't help but notice the distaste on Greg's face. "So, will you help us or not?" she asked.

"Count me in," Hook said with a smile.

**Up next, confessions of love!**


	18. Chapter 18

**I apologize for the late update, but it has been really hectic lately. I know I don't say this enough, but thank you for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows, so enjoy!**

_Belle_

The walk back to the library was a short one, and Belle opened the door with her heart pounding in excitement. "I'm back," she called, not wanting to startle Gold. "Hello?" she said when she received no response.

"In here," a voice answered, and Belle went around the corner to see Gold sitting at the desk. He looked almost surprised to see her, but sure enough sat waiting with two cups of tea. Belle nearly dropped the burgers when she saw a chip in the cup placed in front of Gold.

"That cup!" Belle stammered before snapping out of her shock. With a smile, she sat and handed Gold his burger.

"Do you know what this cup is? I was going to throw it away when I found it, but something stopped me. I know there is something special about this cup but I don't know what. Would you care to enlighten me?" Gold asked, and Belle felt both pleased and disappointed.

"No, it just reminds me of something from a long time ago," Belle lied. "Why, does it bother you that you don't remember the significance of the cup?" Belle asked.

"A little," Gold admitted before starting on his burger. Belle took a bite of hers as well.

"Wow, this is incredible!" Belle said heartily. Gold chuckled.

"You sound as if you've never had a burger before," Gold noted and Belle smiled.

"I haven't. It's a long story and I won't bore you with the details today," Belle said dismissively. Gold doubted that the story was boring, but didn't push the matter.

"So you've had tea, but not a hamburger?" Gold asked, raising an eyebrow. Belle laughed at that.

"I'm a bit old-fashioned," Belle explained.

"I believe that's my job Miss French," Gold said with a smile. "Now, I have a question for you. How do you know how I like my tea?" he asked, a bit more serious.

"Lucky guess," Belle lied, but Gold knew there was more than she was saying.

"So, you know the truth about this cup and how I take my tea. How do you know all of this?" Gold asked, curious and unconvinced that Belle knew as little as she claimed. Belle hesitated for a moment, not sure how to answer.

"I...you wouldn't believe me if I told you," Belle admitted. The last thing she needed to do was to mention magic and lost memories. In just the few hours she'd known him Belle knew Gold would think she was crazy. Gold frowned, obviously not happy about her answer.

"I'll make you a deal Miss French. Starting tomorrow, you will answer one question I have a day completely honestly, and in exchange I will permit you to work here with pay in addition to allowing you to use the library. So, do we have a deal?" Gold asked, confident that she wouldn't refuse. Belle mulled it over for a moment.

"Start calling me Belle and we have a deal," Belle said with a smile, holding out a hand. Gold chuckled and shook the young woman's hand.

"The deal has been struck," Gold said with a smirk.

* * *

_Regina_

"You called?" Regina asked as she stepped into Mary Margaret's apartment. Emma paced the floor and Regina frowned. "Are you all right?" she asked, concerned. Emma sighed.

"Just a little overwhelmed. Well, more than a little," Emma admitted with a sigh.

"Neal?" Regina guessed. She had figured out instantly the moment she saw Neal that he was Henry's father. Emma nodded.

"Yeah. It wouldn't be that bad if that was it. Do you remember when we used the tracking spell to find Gold's son?" Emma asked, and Regina's eyes widened.

"Are you telling me that Rumplestiltskin is Henry's grandfather?" Regina asked in disbelief. Emma nodded. "Wow," Regina stammered.

"Tell me about it," Emma said sighing.

"Have you talked to Neal yet?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, he and his fiancé decided to vacation in Storybrooke of all places," Emma said bitterly. Regina frowned.

"Are you okay with that? The fiancé?" Regina asked cautiously.

"It was over a decade ago, I'm over it," Emma admitted. "I did ask him to not say anything to Henry. I want to be the one to tell him. Thank you for covering for me earlier," Emma added with a smile. Regina smiled.

"It was the least I could do," Regina said dismissively, but she couldn't help but blush.

"Well, thank you," Emma said again. "And thank you for coming, I really needed to vent to someone besides Mary Margaret or David," she admitted.

"You did the same for me last night," Regina pointed out, sitting beside Emma. The blonde chuckled and turned to face the mayor. Regina bit her lip and gathered her courage before leaning in to kiss the savior.

* * *

_Neal_

"All right, what's wrong?" Tamara asked, taking a seat in their room at Granny's. She still wore her running clothes having come straight over when her fiancé called.

"I'm not really sure where to begin," Neal admitted. He knew any attempt to explain the truth would sound crazy.

"Start at the beginning," Tamara suggested, wondering what was eating him.

"Before I start, I want you to know this isn't a lie or a joke. It will sound impossible, but I promise it is the truth," Neal began, taking a deep breath. "My real name is Baelfire," he said, observing Tamara's reaction.

"So you lied about your name," Tamara said, feigning hurt as if she wondered what else he lied about.

"That's the least of it. You see, I'm not from this world. I'm from a place called the Enchanted Forest, a place where what you call fairy tales actually happen," Neal blurted, wanting to get it over with. Tamara raised an eyebrow.

"A place where fairy tales are real?" Tamara asked skeptically.

"Fairy tales, magic, the whole thing. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. I wanted you to know everything because I love you," Neal admitted. Tamara wasn't sure how to react.

"I don't know what to say. You know how crazy this sounds don't you?" Tamara asked with a frown.

"Yeah, I do," Neal admitted. "You need proof don't you?" he asked.

"Proof would be nice," Tamara admitted, hiding her glee at the prospect. Neal thought for a moment.

"Emma might be able to help with that," Neal said before realizing he had another confession to make.

"Who's Emma?" Tamara asked suspiciously. Neal sighed.

"Ex-girlfriend who happens to play a big part in this town. She has a little boy named Henry," Neal explained.

"Is Henry your son?" Tamara asked. "Is he your son?" she repeated sternly when Neal didn't answer.

"Yes. But I swear to you, I don't have feelings for Emma. It's been over a decade and I love you," Neal said, gently squeezing her hand. Tamara offered a small smile.

"And I love you," she said, kissing him.

**Next time, a daughter talks to a father!**


	19. Chapter 19

_Regina_

Emma didn't pull out of the kiss, instead drawing Regina in deeper. By the time the two separated, both were breathless but wearing a smile. Neither said a word and a ringing sound broke the silence.

"Hello?" Regina answered, not sure if she was happy or annoyed by the interruption.

"Hey it's Belle. Can you talk right now?" the caller asked, using Gold's phone. Regina glanced at Emma who visibly ushered her to talk.

"Yes, what do you need?" Regina asked and she heard the beauty sigh.

"I need to ask you about my father," Belle admitted. It was Regina's turn to sigh.

"I'll meet you at the diner," Regina said before hanging up. "I'm terribly sorry, but I need to meet with Belle. I've wronged her so much in the past and I need to make things right," Regina said, reluctant to leave before finding out if her feelings for Emma were reciprocated.

"If she's asking about your father, then that's my fault," Emma admitted with a chuckle. "Go help her. I'm going to see if Mary Margaret and David have found Hook," Emma said. She stood to leave, but before she did she turned and kissed Regina, much to the mayor's shock. "Good luck," Emma said as she left. Regina smiled and swiftly made her way to the diner.

* * *

_Belle_

"Estranged relationship with your father?" Gold asked as Belle returned his phone.

"I haven't seen him in years. I want to talk to the mayor about him before I just drop in and surprise him," Belle explained.

"I'm sure he will be pleased to see you," Gold said.

"It will certainly be an...interesting reunion," Belle said sighing.

"Well, I wish you good luck Miss...Belle," Gold said, quickly correcting himself.

"I hope you have a good question for tomorrow," Belle said smiling.

"I'll come up with something," Gold said with a smirk. "Farewell," he added, feigning disinterest.

"I'll see you bright and early in the morning," Belle said cheerfully as she made her way to the diner. She found Regina waiting for her.

"Hello Belle," Regina said quietly.

"So, what can you tell me about my father? Emma mentioned something about Rumple putting him in the hospital after father stole something from him. She said you might know more," Belle said. "Do you?" she asked when Regina hesitated.

"Yes," Regina admitted. "Before the curse broke your father owed Gold a lot of money. Gold remembered who he was, and naturally didn't like your father much," she began.

"Rumple thought he was the reason I was dead," Belle said, unsurprised. Regina winced.

"Yes. By this time I suspected that Gold had his memories and so I needed something to trade in exchange for his confession. I suggested that your father rob Gold, and I told him of one object in particular to make sure he delivered to me, a teacup with a chip in it. I believe you know the one," Regina said.

"Of course. I chipped it the first day I worked for him. He still has it, he even used it at lunch today," Belle said thoughtfully.

"Well, he knew that Moe, your father, had stolen the objects but Emma was able to recover everything except for the cup. Gold took matters into his own hands and kidnapped Moe and nearly beat him to death before Emma showed up," Regina finished. Belle took a moment to think everything over. Part of her understood his anger, but as a whole she was horrified by his actions.

"Thank you," Belle said, standing to leave.

"I am truly sorry," Regina said apologetically. Belle sighed.

"Have a nice day," she said, leaving to take a walk to clear her head.

* * *

_Emma_

"Hey, did you find him?" Emma asked as her mother and father walked in the door.

"No, not yet," David said with a sigh. Mary Margaret noticed something different about Emma.

"Are you all right?" Mary Margaret asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Emma said, breaking out of her daze. "I... I think I may be in love," she admitted, unable to hide her smile. Both David and Mary Margaret lit up.

"That's wonderful!" Mary Margaret said with a grin that spread from ear to ear.

"See, you were destined to find love. It's in your blood," David said smiling.

"Who is he?" Mary Margaret asked, unable to contain her excitement. Emma hesitated for a moment.

"Regina. I'm in love with Regina," she said.

**Next time, a father and son bond!**


End file.
